List of ambassadors of the United States to Liberia

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Ambassador of the United States to Liberia
US Department of State official seal.svg
Seal of the United States Department of State
Incumbent
Catherine Rodriguez
Chargé d'Affaires ad interim
since August 11, 2023 [1]
NominatorThe President of the United States
AppointerThe President
with Senate advice and consent
Inaugural holder Abraham Hanson
as Commissioner/Consul General
FormationJune 8, 1863
Website U.S. Embassy – Monrovia

This is a record of ambassadors of the United States to Liberia.

Contents

Liberia, as a nation, had its beginnings in 1821 when groups of free blacks from the United States emigrated from the U.S. and began establishing colonies on the coast under the direction of the American Colonization Society. Between 1821 and 1847, by a combination of purchase and conquest, American Societies developed the colonies under the name "Liberia", dominating the native inhabitants of the area. In 1847 the colony declared itself an independent nation. Because it was already established as a nation, Liberia avoided becoming a European colony during the great age of European colonies in Africa during the latter half of the 19th century.

The United States recognized Liberia as an independent state in 1862 and commissioned its first representative to Liberia in 1863. The representative, Abraham Hanson, was appointed as commissioner/consul general. The status of the commissioner was later upgraded to Minister, and finally to full ambassador in 1949. Relations between the United States and Liberia have been continuous since that time.

Eight U.S. ambassadors have died at their post serving in Liberia.

The U.S. embassy in Liberia is located in Monrovia.

Ambassadors

NameTitleAppointed Presented credentials Terminated missionNotes
Abraham Hanson [2] Commissioner/Consul GeneralJune 8, 1863February 23, 1864July 20, 1866Died at post
John Seys [3] Minister Resident/Consul GeneralOctober 8, 1866January 2, 1867June 11, 1870
J. Milton Turner March 1, 1871July 19, 1871May 7, 1878
John H. Smythe May 23, 1878August 19, 1878December 22, 1881
Henry Highland Garnet [4] June 30, 1881December 22, 1881February 13, 1882Died at post
John H. SmytheApril 12, 1882August 4, 1882December 14, 1885
Moses A. Hopkins [5] September 11, 1885December 14, 1885August 3, 1886Died at post
Charles H. J. Taylor [6] March 11, 1887June 4, 1887c. September 22, 1887
Ezekiel E. Smith April 24, 1888July 21, 1888May 20, 1890
Alexander Clark August 16, 1890November 25, 1890May 31, 1891Died at post
William D. McCoy January 11, 1892March 28, 1892May 15, 1893Died at post
William H. Heard February 23, 1895May 6, 1895April 28, 1898
Owen L. W. Smith February 11, 1898On or shortly before May 11, 1898May 13, 1902
John R. A. Crossland January 16, 1902May 13, 1902January 30, 1903
Ernest Lyon March 16, 1903July 27, 1903c. August 25, 1910
William D. Crum June 13, 1910August 25, 1910September 17, 1912
George Washington Buckner – Political appointeeSeptember 10, 1913December 8, 1913April 15, 1915
James L. Curtis [7] – Political appointeeOctober 25, 1915December 29, 1915October 20, 1917
Joseph L. Johnson – Political appointeeAugust 27, 1918October 8, 1919February 13, 1922
Solomon Porter Hood – Political appointeeOctober 26, 1921February 13, 1922January 9, 1926
William T. Francis [8] – Political appointeeJuly 9, 1927November 30, 1927July 15, 1929Died at post
Charles E. Mitchell [9] – Political appointeeEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryJanuary 20, 1931Did not present credentialsMarch 22, 1933Government of Liberia requested his recall on February 11, 1933
Lester A. Walton – Political appointeeJuly 22, 1935October 2, 1935February 28, 1946
Raphael O'Hara Lanier – Political appointeeFebruary 13, 1946July 1, 1946June 8, 1948
Edward R. Dudley [10] – Political appointeeAugust 11, 1948October 18, 1948June 15, 1953Promoted to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary March 18, 1949
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Jesse D. Locker – Political appointeeJuly 22, 1953October 16, 1953April 10, 1955Died at post
Richard Lee Jones – Political appointeeMay 31, 1955June 24, 1955July 24, 1959
Elbert G. Mathews – Career FSOAugust 12, 1959September 30, 1959May 4, 1962
Charles Edward Rhetts – Political appointeeJuly 5, 1962August 7, 1962September 30, 1964
Ben H. Brown, Jr. [11] – Career FSONovember 25, 1964January 6, 1965July 17, 1969
Samuel Z. Westerfield, Jr. – Career FSOJuly 8, 1969December 9, 1969July 19, 1972Died at post
Melvin L. Manfull [12] – Career FSODecember 2, 1972December 22, 1972December 15, 1975
W. Beverly Carter, Jr. – Career FSOApril 6, 1976April 23, 1976January 1, 1979
Robert P. Smith – Career FSOJuly 2, 1979August 6, 1979January 15, 1981
William Lacy Swing – Career FSOJuly 18, 1981August 11, 1981June 10, 1985
Edward Joseph Perkins – Career FSOJuly 12, 1985August 28, 1985October 22, 1986
James Keough Bishop – Career FSOMarch 27, 1987May 4, 1987March 31, 1990
Peter Jon de Vos – Career FSOJune 22, 1990Did not present credentials [13] July 27, 1992From 1992–1999 the following officers served as chargés d’affaires ad interim: William H. Twaddell (September 1992 – July 1995), William B. Milam (November 1995 – January 1999), and Donald K. Petterson (February 1999 – August 1999).
Bismarck Myrick – Career FSOJuly 7, 1999August 20, 1999July 23, 2002
John William Blaney – Career FSOAugust 8, 2002October 3, 2002July 13, 2005
Donald E. Booth – Career FSOJune 21, 2005August 9, 2005July 11, 2008
Linda Thomas-Greenfield – Career FSOJuly 18, 2008August 27, 2008 [14] February 29, 2012
Deborah R. Malac – Career FSOJuly 26, 2012September 20, 2012December 18, 2015
Christine A. Elder – Career FSOMay 17, 2016June 23, 2016March 21, 2020
Michael A. McCarthy – Career FSONovember 18, 2020January 22, 2021July 12, 2023 [15]
Joel Maybury – Career FSOChargé d'Affaires ad interimJuly 13, 2023August 11, 2023
Catherine Rodriguez – Career FSOAugust 11, 2023Incumbent

Notes

  1. ↑ "DCM Catherine Rodriguez". October 2, 2023.
  2. ↑ Hanson was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on January 12, 1864.
  3. ↑ Seys was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on February 21, 1867.
  4. ↑ Garnet was commissioned during a recess of the Senate. His date of commissioning is not recorded. The commission was enclosed with an instruction of July 19, 1881. He was recommissioned after confirmation on October 26, 1881.
  5. ↑ Hopkins was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on January 13, 1886.
  6. ↑ Taylor was commissioned during a recess of the Senate. [Apparently not recommissioned.]
  7. ↑ Curtis was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on December 17, 1915.
  8. ↑ Francis was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on December 17, 1927.
  9. ↑ Mitchel was commissioned as Minister Resident/Consul General on September 10, 1930, and recommissioned after confirmation on December 16, 1930.
  10. ↑ Dudley was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on March 2, 1949.
  11. ↑ Brown was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on January 18, 1965.
  12. ↑ Manfull was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on February 8, 1973.
  13. ↑ de Vos arrived at his post on June 28, 1990. He had not presented credentials before the overthrow of the government of Liberia on September 11, 1990.
  14. ↑ "Linda Thomas-Greenfield - People - Department History - Office of the Historian".
  15. ↑ "Liberia: Outgoing U.S. Ambassador Michael McCarthy Expresses Disappointment over Government's Failure to Investigate Sanctioned Officials". July 12, 2023.

See also

References

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