Counselor of the United States Department of State

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Counselor of the
United States Department of State
US Department of State official seal.svg
Seal of the United States Department of State
Counselor and Chief of Staff to the Secretary of State Michael Austin Needham.jpg
Incumbent
Michael Needham
since January 20, 2025
Reports to United States Secretary of State
Nominator President of the United States
Inaugural holder Chandler P. Anderson
Formation1909
Website Official website

The counselor of the United States Department of State is a position within the United States Department of State that serves the secretary of state as a special advisor and consultant on major problems of foreign policy and who provides guidance to the appropriate bureaus with respect to such matters. The counselor conducts special international negotiations and consultations, and also undertakes special assignments from time to time, as directed by the secretary of state. [1] Currently, the counselor holds under law a rank equivalent to that of under secretary of state. [2] Unlike the other under secretaries of state, the counselor currently does not require Senate confirmation. [3] Historically, the role was appointed by the president, by and with the advice and consent of the United States Senate as authorized by 22 U.S. Code § 2651a [4] as one of four "other senior officials." [5]

The secretary of state created the position of counselor for the Department of State in 1909 as part of a general department reorganization. In 1912, the position became a presidential appointment. Between 1913 and 1919, the counselor served as the department's second-ranking officer, assuming the role previously exercised by the assistant secretary of state. In 1919, the newly created position of under secretary of state subsumed the duties of the counselor. An Act of Congress, May 18, 1937, re-established the position of counselor of the Department of State. Between 1961 and 1966, the counselor also served as the chairman of the Policy Planning Council. On April 30, 1994, the title was changed to under secretary of state for global affairs when Counselor Timothy E. Wirth was appointed to that position, but another counselor was appointed in 1997. [2]

List of counselors of the United States Department of State

#NameAssumed officeLeft office President served under
1 Chandler Anderson LCCN2014688165 (1).jpg
Chandler P. Anderson
August 23, 1912April 22, 1913 William Howard Taft
2 JB-Moore2.jpg
John Bassett Moore
April 23, 1913March 4, 1914 Woodrow Wilson
3 Robert Lansing cph.3b47713.jpg
Robert Lansing
April 1, 1914June 23, 1915
4 Frank Lyon Polk, LC-DIG-npcc-01132, trimmed.jpg
Frank Polk
September 16, 1915 [6] June 30, 1919
5 MOORE, R. WALTON. HONORABLE LCCN2016858498 (3x4a).jpg
R. Walton Moore
May 21, 1937February 8, 1941 Franklin D. Roosevelt
6 Banjamin V Cohen.jpg
Benjamin Victor Cohen
September 14, 1945July 31, 1947 Harry S. Truman
7 Charles Bohlen.png
Charles E. Bohlen
August 1, 1947August 3, 1949
8 Kennan.jpeg
George F. Kennan
August 4, 1949July 11, 1951
9 Charles Bohlen.png
Charles E. Bohlen
July 12, 1951March 29, 1953 Dwight D. Eisenhower
10 Douglas MacArthur II.jpg
Douglas MacArthur II
March 30, 1953December 16, 1956
11 G. Frederick Reinhardt ca. 1961.jpg
G. Frederick Reinhardt
March 17, 1957February 3, 1960
12 Theodore Achilles March 24, 1960February 15, 1961
13 Portrait of George C. McGhee.jpg
George C. McGhee
February 16, 1961December 3, 1961 John F. Kennedy
14 Walt Rostow 1968.jpg
Walt Whitman Rostow
December 4, 1961 [7] March 31, 1966John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson
15 Robert R. Bowie September 21, 1966April 1, 1968Lyndon B. Johnson
16 Richard F. Pedersen January 24, 1969July 26, 1973 Richard Nixon
17 Helmut Sonnenfeldt travels to the Vladivostok Summit Meeting, 1974 - NARA - 7158147 (1).jpg
Helmut Sonnenfeldt
January 7, 1974February 21, 1977Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford
18 Matthew Nimetz 2013.jpg
Matthew Nimetz
April 8, 1977March 19, 1980 Jimmy Carter
19 Bundesarchiv Bild 183-1985-0310-140, Leipzig, Fruhjahrsmesse, Honecker, Ridgway (cropped).jpg
Rozanne L. Ridgway
March 20, 1980February 24, 1981
20 Robert Mcfarlane IAGS.jpg
Robert McFarlane
February 28, 1981April 4, 1982 Ronald Reagan
21 JamesLBuckley.jpg
James L. Buckley
September 9, 1982September 26, 1982
22 Ed derwinski.jpg
Ed Derwinski
March 23, 1983March 24, 1987
23 Max Kampelman - Reykjavik play staged reading and panel discussion CTBTO.jpg
Max Kampelman
July 15, 1987January 20, 1989
24 Zoellick, Robert (official portrait 2008).jpg
Robert Zoellick
March 2, 1989August 23, 1992 George H. W. Bush
- Ken Juster official photo.jpg
Kenneth Juster (acting)
August 23, 1992January 20, 1993
25 Tim Wirth (1).jpg
Tim Wirth
April 23, 1993April 30, 1994 Bill Clinton
26 Wendy R. Sherman.jpg
Wendy Sherman
August 6, 1997January 20, 2001
27 RS3J6340.jpg
Philip D. Zelikow
February 1, 2005 [8] January 2, 2007 George W. Bush
28 Does the Pentagon Have Too Much Power%3F (28299384108).jpg
Eliot A. Cohen
April 30, 2007January 20, 2009
29 Cheryl D. Mills.jpg
Cheryl Mills
January 20, 2009February 1, 2013 Barack Obama
30 Official Heather Higginbottom Photo.png
Heather Higginbottom
February 1, 2013December 13, 2013
31 Thomas A. Shannon Jr official photo.jpg
Tom Shannon
December 24, 2013February 12, 2016
32 Kristie Kenney new.jpg
Kristie Kenney
February 12, 2016February 17, 2017 [9] [10] Barack Obama
Donald Trump
33 Maliz Beams official portrait.jpg
Maliz E. Beams
August 17, 2017November 27, 2017Donald Trump
34 T Ulrich Brechbuhl Official Photo.jpg
Ulrich Brechbuhl
May 1, 2018January 20, 2021
35 Derek Chollet.png
Derek Chollet
January 20, 2021July 22, 2024 Joe Biden
36 TomSullivanStateDpt Cropped.png
Tom Sullivan
July 22, 2024January 20, 2025
37 Counselor and Chief of Staff to the Secretary of State Michael Austin Needham.jpg
Michael Needham
January 20, 2025IncumbentDonald Trump

References

  1. "Counselor of the Department". State.gov. Retrieved September 22, 2007.
  2. 1 2 "Counselors". State.gov. Retrieved September 22, 2007.
  3. "@StateDept Now Has an Official Bio For New Counselor of the State Department Maliz E. Beams". Diplopundit.net. November 9, 2017. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  4. 22 U.S.C.   § 2651a
  5. "22 U.S. Code § 2651a - Organization of Department of State". LII / Legal Information Institute. Retrieved May 6, 2022.
  6. Initially commissioned during a Senate recess; after confirmation, re-commissioned on December 17, 1915.
  7. Initially commissioned during a Senate recess; after confirmation, re-commissioned on March 5, 1962.
  8. Designated, not commissioned.
  9. Confirmation of Ambassador Thomas Shannon as Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs and Appointment of Ambassador Kristie Kenney as State Department Counselor Press Statement 2016, State.gov
  10. "Tillerson presides over abrupt shakeup at State Department". CNN. February 17, 2017. Retrieved February 18, 2017.