The United States permanent representative to NATO (commonly referred to as the U.S. ambassador to NATO) is the official representative of the United States mission to NATO. The representative has the rank of full ambassador and is appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. The official title of the representative is United States permanent representative on the Council of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, with the rank and status of ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary.

The first representative was appointed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953, which was William H. Draper Jr.

List #PortraitAmbassadorDates served1William Henry Draper Jr.April 8, 1953 – June 13, 19532John Chambers HughesJune 12, 1953 – April 20, 19553George Walbridge Perkins Jr.March 14, 1955 – October 12, 19574Warren Randolph BurgessSeptember 21, 1957 – March 23, 19615Thomas K. FinletterMarch 2, 1961 – September 2, 19656Harlan ClevelandSeptember 1, 1965 – June 11, 19697Robert EllsworthMay 13, 1969 – June 30, 19718David M. KennedyMarch 17, 1972 – February 1, 19739Donald RumsfeldFebruary 2, 1973 – December 5, 197410David K. E. BruceOctober 17, 1974 – February 12, 197611Robert Strausz-HupéMarch 3, 1976 – April 20, 197712William Tapley Bennett Jr.April 26, 1977 – March 31, 198313David Manker AbshireJuly 13, 1983 – January 5, 198714Alton G. Keel Jr.March 13, 1987 – June 17, 198915William Howard Taft IVAugust 3, 1989 – June 26, 199216Reginald BartholomewJune 15, 1992 – March 25, 199317Robert E. HunterJuly 1, 1993 – December 31, 199718Alexander VershbowJanuary 1, 1998 – July 9, 200119R. Nicholas BurnsAugust 7, 2001 – March 7, 200520Victoria NulandJuly 13, 2005 – May 2, 200821Kurt VolkerJuly 2, 2008 – May 13, 200922Ivo H. DaalderMay 15, 2009 – July 6, 201323Douglas LuteSeptember 3, 2013 – January 20, 201724Kay Bailey HutchisonAugust 28, 2017 – January 20, 2021 -Douglas D. Jones (acting)January 20, 2021 – September 27, 202125Julianne SmithDecember 6, 2021 – October 23, 2024 -Scott Oudkirk (acting)October 24, 2024 – April 3, 202526Matthew WhitakerApril 3, 2025 - present

References

Sources List of NATO ambassadors — US State Department

External links