List of ambassadors of the United States to Portugal

Last updated

Ambassador of the United States to Portugal
US Department of State official seal.svg
Seal of the United States Department of State
Randi Charno Levine, U.S. Ambassador.png
since April 22, 2022
NominatorThe President of the United States
AppointerThe President
with Senate advice and consent
Inaugural holder David Humphreys
as Minister Resident
FormationFebruary 21, 1791 (1791-02-21)
Website U.S. Embassy - Lisbon

Bilateral diplomatic relations between the United States and Portugal date from the earliest years of the United States. Following the Revolutionary War, Portugal was the first neutral country to recognize the United States. On February 21, 1791, President George Washington opened formal diplomatic relations, naming Col. David Humphreys as U.S. Minister Resident. Subsequent envoys were given the title Minister Plenipotentiary.

Contents

Chiefs of mission

  Denotes Chargé d’Affaires ad interim
  Denotes that Chief of Mission served at the court of Portugal in Brazil; resident at Rio de Janeiro
NamePortraitState of residencyType of appointeeTitleAppointmentPresentation of credentialsTermination of mission
David Humphreys Colonel David Humphreys by Gilbert Stuart.jpeg Connecticut Minister ResidentFebruary 21, 1791May 13, 1791Presented recall on July 25, 1797
William Loughton Smith William Loughton Smith - Gilbert Stuart.jpg South Carolina Minister PlenipotentiaryJuly 10, 1797September 8, 1797Presented recall on September 9, 1801
Thomas Sumter Jr. South Carolina Minister PlenipotentiaryMarch 7, 1809June 7, 1810Presented recall on July 24, 1819
John Graham Pennsylvania, Virginia Minister PlenipotentiaryJanuary 6, 1819June 24, 1819Left Rio de Janeiro June 13, 1820
John James Appleton Massachusetts Chargé d'Affaires ad interimBegan Service June 1820Appleton's last despatch was dated July 12, 1821 (the Legation to Portugal at Rio de Janeiro was closed in 1821)
Henry Dearborn Sr. Gilbert Stuart - Major-General Henry Dearborn - 1913.793 - Art Institute of Chicago.jpg Massachusetts Envoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryMay 7, 1822Arrived at Lisbon before August 16, 1822; did not report date of presentation of credentialsHad farewell audience June 30, 1824
Thomas Ludwell Lee Brent Thomas Ludwell Lee Brent.png Virginia Chargé d'AffairesMarch 9, 1825June 24, 1825 [1] Left post on or soon after November 28, 1834
Edward Kavanaugh Edward Kavanagh (Maine Governor).jpg Maine Chargé d'AffairesMarch 3, 1835July 25, 1835Relinquished charge April 19, 1841
Washington Barrow George Washington Barrow.jpg Mississippi Chargé d'AffairesAugust 16, 1841December 28, 1841Presented recall on February 24, 1844
Abraham Rencher Abraham Rencher (New Mexico Governor).jpg North Carolina Chargé d'AffairesSeptember 22, 1843 [2] February 24, 1844Presented recall on November 4, 1847
George Washington Hopkins George Washington Hopkins.png Virginia Chargé d'AffairesMarch 3, 1847November 4, 1847Presented recall on October 18, 1849
James Brown Clay Hon. James C. Clay, Ky - NARA - 528502.jpg Kentucky Chargé d'AffairesAugust 1, 1849October 18, 1849 [3] Left post on August 19, 1850
Charles Brickett Haddock Charles Brickett Haddock.jpg New Hampshire Chargé d'AffairesDecember 10, 1850June 17, 1851Presented recall on June 16, 1854
John Louis O'Sullivan John O'Sullivan.jpg New York Chargé d'AffairesFebruary 16, 1854June 16, 1854Promoted to Minister Resident October 19, 1854
Minister ResidentJune 29, 1854October 19, 1854Presented recall on July 15, 1858
George Washington Morgan George W. Morgan - Brady-Handy.jpg Ohio Minister ResidentMay 11, 1858July 15, 1858Presented recall on July 19, 1861
James E. Harvey Pennsylvania Minister ResidentMarch 28, 1861July 19, 1861Presented recall on July 15, 1869
Samuel Shellabarger Samuel Shellabarger cph.3a00889.jpg Ohio Minister ResidentApril 21, 1869July 15, 1869Relinquished charge January 1, 1870
Charles Hance Lewis Virginia Minister ResidentMarch 15, 1870June 15, 1870Presented recall on April 8, 1875
Benjamin Moran Pennsylvania Minister ResidentDecember 15, 1874April 8, 1875Presented recall on November 9, 1876
Chargé d'AffairesAugust 15, 1876November 15, 1876Recall presented by successor September 27, 1882
John Morgan Francis John M. Francis portrait.jpg New York Minister Resident/Consul GeneralJuly 7, 1882October 5, 1882Left post on August 25, 1884
Lewis Richmond Rhode Island Minister Resident/Consul GeneralJuly 4, 1884October 23, 1884Presented recall on May 7, 1885
Edward Parke Custis Lewis Edward Parke Custis Lewis.jpg New Jersey Minister Resident/Consul GeneralApril 2, 1885June 18, 1885Presented recall on June 14, 1889
George Bailey Loring George B. Loring - Brady-Handy.jpg Massachusetts Minister Resident/Consul GeneralMarch 30, 1889August 29, 1889Left post on May 31, 1890
George Sherman Batcheller New York Minister Resident/Consul GeneralOctober 1, 1890December 30, 1890Left post on August 17, 1892
Gilbert Ashville Pierce Gilbertashville.jpg Minnesota Minister Resident/Consul GeneralJanuary 6, 1893March 20, 1893Presented recall on May 24, 1893
George William Caruth Arkansas Envoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryApril 25, 1893June 30, 1893 [4] Presented recall on July 24, 1897
Lawrence Townsend Lawrence Townsend.png Pennsylvania Envoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryJune 9, 1897August 18, 1897Presented recall on May 29, 1899
John Nichol Irwin John Nichol Irwin - oval.jpg Iowa Envoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryApril 12, 1899December 26, 1899 [5] Left post on May 15, 1900
Francis Butler Loomis F. B. Loomis, portrait bust LCCN2014680832 (cropped).jpg Ohio Envoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryJune 17, 1901August 14, 1901 [6] Left post on September 16, 1902
Charles Page Bryan Charles Page Bryan - Brasil-Portugal (16Ago1903).png Illinois Envoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryJanuary 7, 1903April 25, 1903Left post on January 16, 1910
Henry Tifft Gage Henry T. Gage LCCN2014687967.jpg California Envoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryDecember 21, 1909June 11, 1910Normal relations interrupted on October 5, 1910 [7]
Edwin Vernon Morgan Edwin V. Morgan LCCN2014710020 (cropped).jpg New York Envoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryMay 24, 1911August 3, 1911Left post on February 11, 1912
Cyrus E. Woods Cyrus Woods 2.jpg Pennsylvania Envoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryJanuary 25, 1912March 20, 1912Presented recall on August 19, 1913
Thomas Howard Birch Col. Thos. H. Birch, (4-27-22) LCCN2016846279.jpg New Jersey Non-career appointeeEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiarySeptember 10, 1913December 15, 1913Left post on March 15, 1922
Fred Morris Dearing Fred Dearing LCCN2014686102 (cropped).jpg Missouri Career Foreign Service OfficerEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryFebruary 10, 1922June 6, 1922Relinquished charge February 28, 1930
John Glover South John Glover South LCCN2014713918.jpg Kentucky Non-career appointeeEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryDecember 16, 1929March 26, 1930Left post on July 28, 1933
Robert Granville Caldwell Robert Granville Caldwell.png Texas Non-career appointeeEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryJune 13, 1933August 21, 1933Left post on May 28, 1937
Herbert Claiborne Pell Herbert C. Pell.jpg Rhode Island Non-career appointeeEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryMay 27, 1937July 31, 1937Left post on February 3, 1941
Bert Fish Portrait of Bert Fish.jpg Florida Non-career appointeeEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryFebruary 11, 1941March 26, 1941Died at post on July 21, 1943
Raymond Henry Norweb Raymond Henry Norweb - Sept 1923 (cropped).jpg Ohio Career Foreign Service OfficerEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary [8] November 15, 1943December 3, 1943Promoted to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary June 20, 1944
Ambassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryMay 4, 1944June 20, 1944Left post on February 15, 1945
Herman Benjamin Baruch Herman Baruch (1947).jpg New York Non-career appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryFebruary 9, 1945Officially recognized as of April 12, 1945Left post on March 9, 1947
John Cooper Wiley John Cooper Wiley (U.S. Ambassador).jpg Indiana Career Foreign Service OfficerAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryApril 10, 1947June 18, 1947Left post March 15, 1948
Lincoln MacVeagh Connecticut Non-career appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryApril 8, 1948June 9, 1948Left post on February 26, 1952
Cavendish Wells Cannon Utah Career Foreign Service OfficerAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryMarch 13, 1952June 2, 1952Left post on August 1, 1953
M. Robert Guggenheim GUGGENHEIM, M.R. COLONEL LCCN2016862657.jpg District of Columbia Non-career appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryJune 24, 1953August 12, 1953Left post on September 19, 1954
James Cowles Hart Bonbright New York Career Foreign Service OfficerAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryJanuary 24, 1955February 18, 1955Left post on November 27, 1958
Charles Burke Elbrick Ambassador Elbrick.jpg Kentucky Career Foreign Service OfficerAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryOctober 29, 1958January 13, 1959 [9] Left post on August 31, 1963
George Whelan Anderson Jr. PAA-N-4996 ADM George W. Anderson, Jr. (26501746045).jpg District of Columbia Non-career appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryAugust 1, 1963October 22, 1963Left post on June 1, 1966
William Tapley Bennett Jr. William Tapley Bennett.jpg Georgia Career Foreign Service OfficerAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryMay 10, 1966July 20, 1966Left Post on July 21, 1969
Ridgway Brewster Knight District of Columbia Career Foreign Service OfficerAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryJuly 8, 1969July 30, 1969Left post on February 24, 1973
New York
Stuart Nash Scott New York Non-career appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryDecember 19, 1973January 23, 1974Left post on January 12, 1975
Frank Charles Carlucci III Frank Carlucci official portrait.JPEG Pennsylvania Career Foreign Service OfficerAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryDecember 9, 1974January 24, 1975Left post on February 5, 1978
Richard Joseph Bloomfield Maryland Career Foreign Service OfficerAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryFebruary 3, 1978March 10, 1978Left post on June 10, 1982
Henry Allen Holmes Jr. Portrait of H. Allen Holmes, Assistant Secretary of Defense Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict.jpg District of Columbia Career Foreign Service OfficerAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiarySeptember 23, 1982October 15, 1982Left post on June 26, 1985
Frank J. Shakespeare Frank Shakespeare (cropped).jpg Connecticut Non-career appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryAugust 2, 1985October 16, 1985Left post on October 4, 1986
Edward Morgan Rowell California Career Foreign Service OfficerAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryJanuary 19, 1988January 29, 1988 [10] Left post on March 30, 1990
Everett Ellis Briggs Maine Career Foreign Service OfficerAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryApril 1, 1990May 25, 1990Left post on September 3, 1993
New Hampshire
Sharon P. Wilkinson New York Career Foreign Service OfficerChargé d'AffairesSeptember 3, 1993September 21, 1994
Elizabeth Frawley Bagley Elizabeth Frawley Bagley.jpg District of Columbia Non-career appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryJuly 5, 1994September 21, 1994Left post on October 3, 1997
Gerald S. McGowan Virginia Non-career appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryNovember 10, 1997March 10, 1998Left post on July 3, 2001
John N. Palmer John N. Palmer.jpg Mississippi Non-career appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryNovember 5, 2001November 28, 2001Left post on September 25, 2004
Alfred Hoffman Alfred Hoffman, Jr.jpg Florida Non-career appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryOctober 12, 2005November 30, 2005Left post on September 15, 2007
Thomas F. Stephenson Thomas F Stephenson.jpg California Non-career appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryOctober 29, 2007February 8, 2008Left post on June 21, 2009
Allan J. Katz Allan J Katz ambassador.jpg Florida Non-career appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryMarch 19, 2010April 28, 2010Left post on July 28, 2013
Robert A. Sherman Robert Sherman 2014.jpg Massachusetts Non-career appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryMarch 4, 2014May 3, 2014Left post on January 20, 2017
Herro Mustafa Herro Mustafa official photo.jpg North Carolina Career Foreign Service OfficerChargé d'AffairesJanuary 20, 2017August 25, 2017
George E. Glass George-Glass-27Jan2020.jpg Oregon Non-career appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryAugust 9, 2017August 30, 2017January 13, 2021
Randi Charno Levine Randi Charno Levine, U.S. Ambassador.png Non-career appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryOctober 29, 2021April 22, 2022

Other nominees

NamePortraitState of residenceType of appointeeTitleAppointmentNote
John Quincy Adams John Quincy Adams, by John Singleton Copley.jpg Massachusetts Minister PlenipotentiaryMay 30, 1796Did not serve under this appointment.
John James Appleton Massachusetts Chargé d'AffairesNot commissioned; nomination be Chargé d'Affaires at Rio de Janeiro rejected by the Senate.
John Louis O'Sullivan John O'Sullivan.jpg New York Envoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryFebruary 25, 1856Nomination withdrawn before the Senate acted upon it.
William Cumback Will Cumback.jpg Indiana Minister ResidentJanuary 28, 1870Declined appointment.
John Morgan Francis John M. Francis portrait.jpg New York Chargé d'AffairesApril 28, 1882Took oath of office, but did not proceed to post in capacity of Chargé d'Affaires.
Henry Sherman Boutell Henry Sherman Boutell.jpg Illinois Envoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryMarch 2, 1911Took oath of office, but did not proceed to post.
Meredith Nicholson Portrait of Meredith Nicholson.jpg Indiana Envoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryNot commissioned; nomination withdrawn before the Senate acted upon it.
Richard Noyes Viets Florida Career Foreign Service OfficerAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiarySeptember 15, 1987Nomination was not acted upon by the Senate.
Vermont

Notes

  1. Reaccredited after a change in government; presented new credentials on January 18, 1830
  2. Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned on January 11, 1844, after confirmation.
  3. Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned on March 18, 1850, after confirmation.
  4. Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned on August 22, 1893, after confirmation.
  5. Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned on December 14, 1899, after confirmation.
  6. Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned on December 10, 1901, after confirmation.
  7. The new Government of Portugal was still unrecognized by the United States when Gage left post on November 19, 1910.
  8. With the personal rank of Ambassador.
  9. Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned on January 29, 1959, after confirmation.
  10. Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned on May 12, 1988, after confirmation.

See also

References