List of ambassadors of the United States to France

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Ambassador of the United States of America to France
Ambassadeur des États-Unis en France
US Department of State official seal.svg
Seal of the United States Department of State
Denise Campbell Bauer, U.S. Ambassador.jpg
Incumbent
Denise Bauer
since February 5, 2022
Residence Hôtel de Pontalba
NominatorThe President of the United States
AppointerThe President
with Senate advice and consent
Inaugural holder Benjamin Franklin
as Envoy
Formation1778
Website U.S. Embassy – Paris

The United States ambassador to France is the official representative of the president of the United States to the president of France. The United States has maintained diplomatic relations with France since the American Revolution. Relations were upgraded to the higher rank of Ambassador in 1893. The diplomatic relationship has continued through France's two empires, three monarchies, and five republics. Since 2006 the ambassador to France has also served as the ambassador to Monaco.

Contents

List of United States chiefs of mission in France

Ministers to the Court of Versailles (1778–1792)

Relations between the United States and the French Court of Versailles were established in 1778 with the signing of the Treaty of Amity and Commerce. As a republic, the United States was not entitled to send an ambassador. Instead, relations were maintained at the lower diplomatic rank of Minister. The position was formally known as the Minister Plenipotentiary from the United States of America at the Court of Versailles.

NameAppointmentPresentationTerminationNotes
Joseph Siffrein Duplessis - Benjamin Franklin - Google Art Project.jpg Benjamin Franklin September 14, 1778March 23, 1779May 17, 1785Franklin had represented the United States unofficially since December 1776, prior to France recognizing American Independence.
Official Presidential portrait of Thomas Jefferson (by Rembrandt Peale, 1800)(cropped).jpg Thomas Jefferson March 10, 1785May 17, 1785September 26, 1789
Portrait of William Short.jpg William Short April 20, 1790June 14, 1790May 15, 1792
Portrait of Gouverneur Morris (1752-1816), 1817.jpg Gouverneur Morris January 12, 1792June 3, 1792April 9, 1794Remained as Minister after the First Republic was proclaimed. Mission terminated when the French government requested his recall.

Ministers to the First Republic (1792–1804)

NameAppointmentPresentationTerminationNotes
James Monroe (1758-1831).jpg James Monroe May 28, 1794August 15, 1794December 9, 1796
CharlesCPinckney crop.jpg Charles C. Pinckney September 9, 1796Not presentedFebruary 5, 1797

Diplomatic relations were broken in 1796 due to French anger at U.S. neutrality in the War of the First Coalition. After the Directory refused to accept Charles Cotesworth Pinckney's credentials, a commission was appointed to negotiate with the French Republic. The members of the commission — Pinckney, John Marshall, and Elbridge Gerry — were all accredited with the rank of Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary. [1] French officials demanded a bribe before they would commence negotiations, scuttling the mission in the XYZ Affair. Hostilities culminated in the outbreak of the Quasi-War between the U.S. and France. Diplomatic relations were restored with the Convention of 1800.

NameAppointmentPresentationTerminationNotes
Robert R Livingston, attributed to Gilbert Stuart (1755-1828).jpg Robert R. Livingston October 2, 1801December 6, 1801November 18, 1804Remained as Minister after Napoleon Bonaparte was proclaimed emperor.

James Monroe was accredited Minister Plenipotentiary to the French Republic in 1803 to negotiate the Louisiana Purchase. [2] However, Robert Livingston remained chief of mission.

Ministers to the Court of the Tuilleries (1804–1848)

Since Versailles had been stripped of its furnishings during the French Revolution, Napoleon I returned the French court to its pre-1682 home at the Tuilleries. U.S. ministers to all future French monarchs would be accredited to the Tuilleries. After the Congress of Vienna standardized the system of diplomatic ranks, the United States continued to send a Minister, who was officially credentialed as an Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary.

NameAppointmentPresentationTerminationNotes
John Armstrong Jr Rembrandt Peale.jpg John Armstrong June 30, 1804November 18, 1804September 14, 1810
Joel Barlow - Project Gutenberg eText 13220.png Joel Barlow February 27, 1811November 17, 1811December 26, 1812Died in Żarnowiec during the French retreat from Moscow.
WilliamHCrawford.jpg William H. Crawford April 9, 1813December 14, 1813
August 16, 1814
April 26, 1815 to April 30, 1815
AlbertGallatin.jpeg Albert Gallatin February 28, 1815July 16, 1816May 16, 1823
Senator James Brown of Louisiana (1766-1835).jpg James Brown December 9, 1823April 13, 1824June 28, 1829
WilliamCRives.png William Cabell Rives April 18, 1829October 25, 1829
January 14, 1831
September 27, 1832
Edward Livingston, U.S. Secretary of State.jpg Edward Livingston May 29, 1833September 30, 1833April 29, 1835
LewisCass.png Lewis Cass October 4, 1836December 1, 1836November 12, 1842
William Rufus DeVane King 1839 portrait.jpg William R. King April 9, 1844July 1, 1844September 15, 1846
Richard Rush engraving.png Richard Rush March 3, 1847July 31, 1847
April 26, 1848
October 8, 1849Reaccredited to the Second Republic.

Ministers to the Second Republic (1848–1852)

NameAppointmentPresentationTerminationNotes
WilliamCRives.png William Cabell Rives July 20, 1849November 8, 1849
January 10, 1853
May 12, 1853Reaccredited to the Second Empire.

Ministers to the Court of the Tuilleries (1852–1870)

NameAppointmentPresentationTerminationNotes
JYMason.jpg John Y. Mason October 10, 1853January 22, 1854October 3, 1859Died at post.
Charles J. Faulkner 1806-1884 - Brady-Handy.jpg Charles J. Faulkner January 16, 1860March 4, 1860May 12, 1861Sided with the Confederacy during the American Civil War.
William L. Dayton.jpg William L. Dayton March 18, 1861May 19, 1861December 1, 1864Died at post.
John Bigelow - Brady-Handy.jpg John Bigelow March 15, 1865April 23, 1865December 23, 1866
JADix-Sarony.jpg John Adams Dix September 24, 1866December 23, 1866May 23, 1869
Elihu B. Washburne seated - Brady-Handy.png Elihu B. Washburne March 17, 1869March 23, 1869
May 8, 1871
September 5, 1877Reaccredited to the Third Republic.

Ministers to the Third Republic (1870–1893)

NameAppointmentPresentationTerminationNotes
Edward Follansbee Noyes at statehouse.jpg Edward F. Noyes July 1, 1877September 5, 1877August 5, 1881
Levi Morton - Brady-Handy portrait - standard crop.jpg Levi P. Morton March 21, 1881August 5, 1881May 14, 1885
Governor robert mclane of maryland.jpg Robert M. McLane March 23, 1885May 14, 1885May 20, 1889
Whitelaw Reid.jpg Whitelaw Reid March 23, 1889May 21, 1889March 25, 1892
Thomas Jefferson Coolidge (cropped).png T. Jefferson Coolidge May 12, 1892June 10, 1892May 4, 1893

Ambassadors to the Third Republic (1893–1942)

After it became a republic, France continued to exchange ambassadors with other Great Powers. This put an end to the longstanding rule that only Great Power monarchies could exchange ambassadors with each other. As the United States grew in population and economic strength, it followed the French example. In 1893, the United States upgraded its diplomatic relations with the other Great Powers to the ambassadorial level.

NameAppointmentPresentationTerminationNotes
JamesBEustis.jpg James B. Eustis April 8, 1893May 6, 1893May 24, 1897
Horace Porter - Brady-Handy.jpg Horace Porter March 19, 1897May 26, 1897May 2, 1905
Robert Sanderson McCormick.jpg Robert S. McCormick March 8, 1905May 2, 1905March 2, 1907
Henry White cph.3a36597.jpg Henry White December 19, 1906March 23, 1907November 3, 1909
Bacon, Robert.jpg Robert Bacon December 21, 1909December 31, 1909April 19, 1912
Myron T. Herrick 003.jpg Myron T. Herrick February 15, 1912April 29, 1912November 28, 1914
William Graves Sharp.png William Graves Sharp June 19, 1914December 4, 1914April 14, 1919
Hugh Campbell Wallace in 1919.jpg Hugh Campbell Wallace February 27, 1919April 22, 1919July 5, 1921
Myron T. Herrick 003.jpg Myron T. Herrick April 16, 1921July 15, 1921March 31, 1929Died at post.
Walteredge.jpg Walter Evans Edge November 21, 1929December 18, 1929April 13, 1933
Jesse Straus 1933.jpg Jesse I. Straus March 17, 1933June 8, 1933August 5, 1936
William C Bullitt.jpg William C. Bullitt Jr. August 25, 1936October 13, 1936July 11, 1940
Fleet Admiral Leahy.tif William D. Leahy November 29, 1940January 8, 1941May 1, 1942Departed Vichy France; S. Pinkney Tuck served as interim chargé d'affaires until France severed diplomatic relations with the U.S. on November 8, 1942.

Ambassadors to the Fourth Republic (1944–1961)

NameAppointmentPresentationTerminationNotes
No image.svg Jefferson Caffery November 25, 1944December 30, 1944May 13, 1949The Embassy in Paris had been opened to the public December 1, 1944, with Ambassador Caffery in charge pending presentation of his letter of credence.
David K. E. Bruce.jpg David K. E. Bruce May 9, 1949May 17, 1949March 10, 1952
James Clement Dunn 1921.jpg James Clement Dunn March 13, 1952March 27, 1952March 2, 1953
C Douglas Dillon (cropped).jpg C. Douglas Dillon February 27, 1953March 13, 1953January 28, 1957
No image.svg Amory Houghton March 14, 1957April 17, 1957January 19, 1961

Ambassadors to the Fifth Republic (1961–present)

NameAppointmentPresentationTerminationNotes
JamesMGavin(LTG).jpeg James M. Gavin February 22, 1961March 21, 1961September 26, 1962
Charles Bohlen.png Charles E. Bohlen September 4, 1962October 27, 1962February 9, 1968
Sargent Shriver 1961.jpg Sargent Shriver April 22, 1968May 25, 1968March 25, 1970
Arthur K. Watson.jpg Arthur K. Watson April 8, 1970May 6, 1970October 30, 1972
John N. Irwin, II.jpg John N. Irwin II February 2, 1973March 23, 1973October 20, 1974
Kenneth-Rush-1977.jpg Kenneth Rush September 19, 1974November 21, 1974March 14, 1977
ArthurAHartman.jpg Arthur A. Hartman June 8, 1977July 7, 1977October 14, 1981
No image.svg Evan G. Galbraith November 6, 1981December 2, 1981July 15, 1985
No image.svg Joe M. Rodgers July 19, 1985September 20, 1985January 8, 1989
Walter Curley May 12, 1989July 6, 1989February 11, 1993
Pamela Harriman.jpg Pamela Harriman May 8, 1993June 30, 1993February 5, 1997Died at post.
Felix Rohatyn smiling.jpg Felix Rohatyn August 1, 1997September 11, 1997December 7, 2000
Leachhh0202p.jpg Howard H. Leach July 12, 2001September 4, 2001April 16, 2005
Craig Roberts Stapleton.jpg Craig Roberts Stapleton June 21, 2005July 25, 2005January 29, 2009Also accredited to Monaco.
AmbassadorCharlesHRivkin.jpg Charles Rivkin June 1, 2009October 2, 2009November 20, 2013Also accredited to Monaco.
Priti Patel and Jane Hartley (cropped).jpg Jane D. Hartley September 26, 2014October 31, 2014January 29, 2017Also accredited to Monaco.
Jamie D. McCourt.jpg Jamie McCourt November 20, 2017December 18, 2017January 20, 2021Also accredited to Monaco.
Denise Campbell Bauer, U.S. Ambassador.jpg Denise Bauer December 18, 2021February 5, 2022IncumbentAlso accredited to Monaco.

See also

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References

  1. Pinckney, Charles Cotesworth; Gerry, Elbridge; Marshall, John (1798). Authentic Copies of the Correspondence of Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, John Marshall, and Elbridge Gerry, Esqrs. Envoys Extraordinary and Ministers Plenipotentiary to the Republic of France: As Presented to Both Houses of Congress, April 3, 1798, by His Excellency John Adams. J. Derrett. p. 62. The undersigned Envoys Extraordinary and Ministers Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the French Republic, had the honour of announcing to you officially, on the 6th of October, their arrival at Paris, and of presenting to you on the 8th, a copy of their letters of credence.
  2. "Image 906 of James Monroe Papers: Series 1, General Correspondence, 1758-1839; 1796 Mar. 22-1803 Oct. 8 (Reel 2)". The Library of Congress.

PD-icon.svg This article incorporates public domain material from U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets. United States Department of State.

Further reading