He often awarded fellowships not just to the traditional fields of diplomacy and journalism, but also to a wide array of disciplines such as music (Roger Reynolds) and dieticians (Andrew Weil).

[2] However, the Six-Day War broke out just two hours before Nolte was due to present his diplomatic credentials to Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser on June 5, 1967.

[2] The Washington Post later called Nolte's short three week term as ambassador "one of the shortest and most hectic diplomatic careers on record.

According to Benjamin Foldy, when Egyptian officials suddenly agreed to meet with the U.S. and opened up an official embassy channel to get their demands to Washington, Nolte held talks with Egyptian government representatives on providing a "pro-Arab" response from Washington (providing recognition of the Egypt-Syrian United Arab Republic, declaring Israel to be the aggressor in the conflict, and drafting a UN Security Council resolution to force Israel to withdraw from any territories they had won in the conflict) to the disastrous results for Cairo as Egyptian forces were routed by Israelis.

However, his recommendations to the State Department were completely ignored, as the incompetent work of Arabist diplomats before the war had left the Lyndon Johnson administration uninterested in listening to any of their suggestions.

He was also a member of the National Geographic Society, the Council on Foreign Relations, the Arctic Institute of North America and the Alicia Patterson Foundation.

He also became an active board member of the National Aphasia Association after his wife, Jeanne McQuarrie Nolte, suffered a stroke and lost her ability to speak.