List of ambassadors of the United States to South Africa

Last updated

Ambassador of the United States to South Africa
US Department of State official seal.svg
Seal of the United States Department of State
Reuben E. Brigety II, U.S. Ambassador.jpg
Incumbent
Reuben Brigety
since August 11, 2022
Nominator President of the United States
Inaugural holder Ralph J. Totten
as Minister Resident/Consul General
FormationDecember 19, 1929
Website U.S. Embassy - Pretoria

Before 1902, the southern part of Africa that is now South Africa was under the hegemony of Great Britain. There also were two self-proclaimed independent states: Transvaal (also known as the South African Republic), and the Orange Free State. The British and the Boers fought two wars, known as the First Boer War (1880–1881) and the Second Boer War (1899–1902); after the second war, in which the British prevailed, both republics were incorporated into the British Empire. On May 31, 1910, the two ex-republics and the British colonies of the Cape and Natal formed the Union of South Africa, a self-governing dominion of the British Empire.

Contents

The United States appointed its first envoy to South Africa, Ralph J. Totten, in 1929. He was appointed as Minister Resident/Consul General and promoted to Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary the following year.

South Africa was renamed the Republic of South Africa on May 31, 1961, after links to the British crown were severed.

USA embassy in Johannesburg, South Africa USA embassy in Johannesburg.jpg
USA embassy in Johannesburg, South Africa

Ambassadors

NameTitleAppointed Presented credentials Terminated missionNotes
Ralph J. Totten – Career FSO [1] Minister Resident/Consul GeneralDecember 19, 1929February 18, 1930June 20, 1930
Ralph J. Totten – Career FSO [1] Envoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryJune 20, 1930September 8, 1930April 12, 1937
Leo J. Keena – Career FSOJuly 31, 1937October 22, 1937August 13, 1942
Lincoln MacVeagh – Political appointeeMay 21, 1942October 21, 1942November 21, 1943
Thomas Holcomb – Political appointeeMarch 21, 1944June 14, 1944May 30, 1948
North Winship – Career FSO [2] Ambassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryMarch 24, 1948June 11, 1948December 20, 1949The title of the office was changed to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary on March 2, 1949.
John G. Erhardt – Career FSO [3] May 23, 1950October 4, 1950Died at Cape Town, February 18, 1951
Waldemar J. Gallman – Career FSOAugust 22, 1951October 18, 1951August 15, 1954
Edward T. Wailes – Career FSO [4] September 15, 1954November 29, 1954August 11, 1956
Henry A. Byroade – Career FSOJuly 26, 1956October 9, 1956January 24, 1959
Philip K. Crowe – Political appointeeFebruary 16, 1959April 22, 1959April 6, 1961
Joseph C. Satterthwaite – Career FSO [5] April 6, 1961May 22, 1961May 31, 1961South Africa became a republic on May 31, 1961. This required a new commission for the ambassador. Hereafter ambassadors were commissioned to the Republic of South Africa.
Joseph C. Satterthwaite – Career FSO [5] May 31, 1961May 31, 1961November 17, 1965
William M. Rountree – Career FSOOctober 20, 1965January 8, 1966June 5, 1970
John G. Hurd – Political appointeeJuly 24, 1970September 10, 1970April 7, 1975
William G. Bowdler – Career FSOMarch 17, 1975May 14, 1975April 19, 1978
William B. Edmondson – Career FSOMay 3, 1978June 5, 1978July 22, 1981
Herman W. Nickel – Political appointeeMarch 29, 1982April 20, 1982October 4, 1986
Edward Joseph Perkins – Career FSOOctober 16, 1986November 27, 1986May 22, 1989
William Lacy Swing – Career FSOAugust 7, 1989September 8, 1989July 5, 1992
Princeton N. Lyman – Career FSOJuly 14, 1992September 21, 1992December 14, 1995
James A. Joseph – Political appointeeDecember 19, 1995February 27, 1996November 7, 1999
Delano Lewis – Political appointeeNovember 16, 1999January 21, 2000June 22, 2001
Cameron R. Hume – Career FSONovember 5, 2001November 29, 2001July 28, 2004
Jendayi Elizabeth Frazer – Political appointeeMay 25, 2004August 10, 2004August 26, 2005
Eric M. Bost – Political appointeeJuly 20, 2006August 15, 2006January 20, 2009
Donald Gips - Political AppointeeJuly 7, 2009October 1, 2009January 2, 2013
Patrick Gaspard - Political AppointeeAugust 26, 2013October 16, 2013December 16, 2016
Jessica Lapenn - Career FSOChargé d'Affaires ad interimDecember 16, 2016N/ASeptember 13, 2019
Lana Marks - Political AppointeeAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryOctober 4, 2019January 28, 2020 [6] January 20, 2021
John Groarke - Career FSOChargé d'Affaires ad interimJanuary 20, 2021March 2021
Todd P. Haskell - Career FSOMarch 2021 [7] April 11, 2022
Heather Merritt - Career FSOApril 11, 2022 [8] August 11, 2022
Reuben Brigety - Political AppointeeAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryJuly 21, 2022August 11, 2022Incumbent

Notes

  1. 1 2 Totten was promoted to Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary while in office. This required a new commission.
  2. ↑ Winship was promoted to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary while in office. This required a new commission.
  3. ↑ Erhardt died while in office on February 18, 1951.
  4. ↑ Wailes was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on December 3, 1954.
  5. 1 2 Satterthwaite was reaccredited to the Republic of South Africa when South Africa became a republic. A new letter of credence was submitted to the Foreign Office on May 31, 1961 but was not formally presented.
  6. ↑ "President Cyril Ramaphosa receives Letters of Credence from Ambassadors and High Commissioners-designate, 28 Jan | South African Government". www.gov.za. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  7. ↑ "Consul General in Cape Town Todd P. Haskell". February 14, 2021.
  8. ↑ "Deputy Chief of Mission Heather Merritt". February 14, 2022.

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