United States Ambassador to Ethiopia

The United States established diplomatic relations with Ethiopia in 1903 and commissioned its first ambassador to Ethiopia, Hoffman Philip, in 1908. Relations continued uninterrupted until 1980. In July 1980, the U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia was recalled at the request of the Ethiopian Government, and the U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia and the Ethiopian Embassy in the United States were headed by chargés d’affaires. After the defeat of the Derg regime in 1991 and installation of a new government, the current "chargé" was commissioned as the new ambassador. The U.S. has had good relations with the Ethiopian government since that time.

Ambassadors

*Hoffman PhilipPhilip was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on December 9, 1908. He was commissioned to Abyssinia, but did not serve under this recess appointment.]
**Title: Minister Resident/Consul General
**Appointed: July 20, 1908
**Presented credentials: July 6, 1909
**Terminated mission: Left post, February 8, 1910
*Addison E. Southard – Career FSOSouthard was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on December 19, 1927]
**Title: Minister Resident/Consul General
**Appointed: October 12, 1927
**Presented credentials: March 1, 1928
**Terminated mission: Left post, October 26, 1934
*Cornelius Van H. Engert – Career FSOEngert’s mission was terminated when Italian forces occupied Addis Ababa, May 6, 1936. ]
**Title: Minister Resident/Consul General
**Appointed: February 7, 1936
**Presented credentials: April 30, 1936
**Terminated mission: Left post, May 4, 1937
*John K. Caldwell – Career FSOCaldwell’s mission was terminated on October 7, 1943, when the mission was promoted to Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary. Caldwell was recommissioned with the new title on the same date.]
**Title: Minister Resident/Consul General
**Appointed: April 14, 1943
**Presented credentials: August 31, 1943
**Terminated mission: December 9, 1943
*John K. Caldwell – Career FSO
**Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: October 7, 1943
**Presented credentials: December 9, 1943
**Terminated mission: Left post, August 26, 1945
*Felix Cole – Career FSO
**Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: February 20, 1945
**Presented credentials: October 5, 1945
**Terminated mission: Left post, October 8, 1947
*George R. Merrell – Career FSOMerrell’s mission was terminated on May 21, 1949, when the mission was promoted to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary. Merrell was recommissioned with the new title on the same date.]
**Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: May 15, 1947
**Presented credentials: January 1, 1948
**Terminated mission: May 21, 1949
*George R. Merrell – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: May 21, 1949
**Presented credentials: June 28, 1949
**Terminated mission: Left post, March 17, 1951
*J. Rives Childs – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: April 19, 1951
**Presented credentials: May 14, 1951
**Terminated mission: Left post, January 19, 1953
*Joseph Simonson – Political appointee
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: July 22, 1953
**Presented credentials: October 6, 1953
**Terminated mission: Left post, May 1, 1957
*Don C. Bliss – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: May 20, 1957
**Presented credentials: June 22, 1957
**Terminated mission: Left post, June 4, 1960
*Arthur L. Richards – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: June 24, 1960
**Presented credentials: August 26, 1960
**Terminated mission: Left Ethiopia, November 25, 1962
*Edward M. Korry – Political appointee
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: March 9, 1963
**Presented credentials: April 20, 1963
**Terminated mission: Left post, September 22, 1967
*William O. Hall – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: September 13, 1967
**Presented credentials: October 27, 1967
**Terminated mission: Left post, May 15, 1971
*E. Ross Adair – Political appointee
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: May 11, 1971
**Presented credentials: July 8, 1971
**Terminated mission: Left post, February 12, 1974
*Thomas W. McElhiney – Career FSOMcElhiney declined the appointment.]
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: February 11, 1974
**Presented credentials:
**Terminated mission:
*Arthur W. Hummel, Jr. – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: February 20, 1975
**Presented credentials: April 3, 1975
**Terminated mission: Left post, July 6, 1976
*Frederic L. Chapin – Career FSOAmbassador Chapin was recalled at the request of the Ethiopian government on July 29, 1980.]
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: June 27, 1978
**Presented credentials: July 21, 1978
**Terminated mission: Left post, July 29, 1980
*Marc Allen Baas – Career FSOBaas was commissioned as chargé d’affaires in 1982 and promoted to ambassador in 1992.]
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: June 15, 1982
**Presented credentials: June 24, 1992
**Terminated mission: Left post, July 8, 1994
*Note: The U.S. ambassador was recalled in July 1980 and a series of chargés maintained the embassy until June 1992. The following officers served as chargés d’affaires: Owen W. Roberts (July 1980–May 1982, David A. Korn (June 1982–July 1985), James Cheek (July 1985–August 1988), Robert G. Houdek (August 1988–June 1991), and Marc A. Baas (June 1991–June 1992). In June 1992 che current chargé, Marc Allen Baas, was commissioned as the new ambassador.
*Irvin Hicks – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: May 9, 1994
**Presented credentials: July 22, 1994
**Terminated mission: Left post, June 26, 1996
*David H. Shinn – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: June 6, 1996
**Presented credentials: July 2, 1996
**Terminated mission: Left post August 14, 1999
*Tibor P. Nagy, Jr. – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: August 9, 1999
**Presented credentials: October 12, 1999
**Terminated mission: Left post July 19, 2002
*Aurelia E. Brazeal – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: October 3, 2002
**Presented credentials: November20, 2002
**Terminated mission: Left post, September 2, 2005
*Note: Vicki Huddleston served as the Chargé d’Affaires "ad interim" at the embassy in Addis Ababa until the Donald Yamamoto became the ambassador.
*Donald Yamamoto – Career FSO
**Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
**Appointed: November 9, 2006
**Presented Credentials: December 6, 2006
**Terminated mission: —

Notes

ee also

*Ambassadors from the United States

ources

*Ethiopia
* [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/po/com/10509.htm United States Department of State: Ambassadors to Ethiopia]
* [http://addisababa.usembassy.gov/ United States Embassy in Addis Ababa]
* [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2859.htm United States Department of State: Background Notes on Ethiopia]
*StateDept 2006