List of ambassadors of the United States to Gabon

Last updated

Ambassador of the United States to Gabon
US Department of State official seal.svg
Seal of the United States Department of State
Vernelle Trim FitzPatrick, U.S. Ambassador.jpg
since January 26, 2024
NominatorThe President of the United States
AppointerThe President
with Senate advice and consent
Inaugural holder W. Wendell Blancke
as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
FormationDecember 12, 1960
Website U.S. Embassy - Libreville

This is a list of ambassadors of the United States to Gabon.

Contents

Gabon had been an overseas territory of France since 1910. At that time it became part of French Equatorial Africa, which included Middle Congo (now Republic of the Congo), Chad, and Oubangui-Chari (now Central African Republic). Gabon achieved its independence as the Gabonese Republic on August 17, 1960.

The United States immediately recognized the new Gabonese Republic and moved to establish diplomatic relations. The new U.S. embassy in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo, had been established two days earlier on August 15. The current resident in Brazzaville, Alan W. Lukens, was commissioned also to Gabon and presented his credentials to the government on August 17. W. Wendell Blancke was appointed as the first ambassador on December 12, 1960. He served concurrently as the ambassador to Gabon, Central African Republic, Chad, and the Republic of the Congo while resident in Brazzaville.

During Blanke’s tenure as non-resident ambassador, the embassy in Libreville was established March 20, 1961, with Walker A. Diamanti as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim. In September 1961 the first ambassador was appointed solely for Gabon. In 1975 the ambassador to Gabon was also accredited to the newly independent nation of São Tomé and Príncipe.

The U.S. Embassy in Gabon is located in Libreville.

Ambassadors

NameTitleAppointed Presented credentials Terminated missionNotes
W. Wendell Blancke – Career FSO [1] [2] Ambassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryDecember 12, 1960January 13, 1961Superseded, October 10, 1961
Charles F. Darlington – Political appointee [3] September 20, 1961October 18, 1961July 26, 1964
David M. Bane – Career FSOJuly 22, 1965August 14, 1965June 29, 1969
Richard Funkhouser – Career FSOJune 13, 1969August 9, 1969August 2, 1970
John A. McKesson, III – Career FSODecember 10, 1970February 4, 1971June 1, 1975
Andrew L. Steigman – Career FSOJune 10, 1975August 9, 1975August 21, 1977 São Tomé and Príncipe achieved independence on July 12, 1975. The U.S. ambassador to Gabon and subsequent ambassadors were concurrently commissioned to São Tomé and Príncipe while resident in Libreville.
Arthur T. Tienken – Career FSOFebruary 3, 1978March 6, 1978July 19, 1981
Francis Terry McNamara – Career FSODecember 11, 1981January 19, 1982August 3, 1984
Larry C. Williamson – Career FSOAugust 13, 1984November 20, 1984August 21, 1987
Warren Clark Jr. – Career FSOAugust 10, 1987September 19, 1987August 24, 1989
Keith Leveret Wauchope – Career FSONovember 6, 1989December 8, 1989July 13, 1992
Joseph Charles Wilson IV – Career FSOJuly 14, 1992September 17, 1992August 5, 1995
Elizabeth Raspolic – Career FSOOctober 3, 1995November 29, 1995July 24, 1998
James V. Ledesma – Career FSOOctober 22, 1998December 16, 1998June 18, 2001
Thomas F. Daughton Chargé d’Affaires a.i.June 18, 2001UnknownJune 20, 2002
Kenneth Price Moorfield – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryJanuary 30, 2002June 20, 2002July 18, 2004
R. Barrie Walkley – Career FSOJuly 2, 2004November 12, 2004April 27, 2007
Eunice S. Reddick – Career FSONovember 9, 2007December 6, 2007July 18, 2010
Eric D. Benjaminson – Career FSOSeptember 15, 2010December 3, 2010May 21, 2013
Cynthia Akuetteh – Career FSOAugust 1, 2014December 26, 2014February 26, 2018
Joel Danies – Career FSOFebruary 21, 2018April 18, 2018March 1, 2019
Robert E. Whitehead – Career FSOChargé d’Affaires a.i.March 1, 2019August 17, 2020 [4]
Samuel R. Watson [5] August 17, 2020September 28, 2020October 27, 2022
Ellen B. ThorburnOctober 27, 2022November 29, 2023 [6]
David G. MosbyNovember 29, 2023January 16, 2024
Vernelle FitzPatrick – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryNovember 29, 2023January 26, 2024Incumbent

Notes

  1. ↑ Blancke was also accredited to the Central African Republic, Chad, and Republic of the Congo while resident at Brazzaville.
  2. ↑ Blancke was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on February 6, 1961.
  3. ↑ Darlington the first ambassador appointed solely to Gabon and resident in Libreville.
  4. ↑ "Gabon - Chiefs of Mission - People - Department History - Office of the Historian". history.state.gov. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  5. ↑ "Samuel Robert Watson III - People - Department History - Office of the Historian". history.state.gov. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  6. ↑ https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=784842660353417&set=pcb.784843253686691 [ bare URL ]

See also

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References

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