List of ambassadors of the United States 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 +NameTitleAppointedPresented credentialsTerminated missionNotesHoffman 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.Minister Resident/Consul GeneralJuly 20, 1908July 6, 1909February 8, 1910Addison E. Southard – Career FSOSouthard was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on December 19, 1927October 12, 1927March 1, 1928October 26, 1934Cornelius Van H. Engert – Career FSOEngert’s mission was terminated when Italian forces occupied Addis Ababa, May 6, 1936.February 7, 1936April 30, 1936May 4, 1937 The U. S. Legation in Addis Ababa was closed and diplomatic personnel were withdrawn following the Italian occupation of Ethiopia in 1937. The U. S. never recognized Italian authority in Ethiopia. The legation was reopened and a new Minister Resident/Consul was appointed in 1943.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.April 14, 1943August 31, 1943December 9, 1943John K. Caldwell – Career FSOEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryOctober 7, 1943December 9, 1943August 26, 1945Felix Cole – Career FSOFebruary 20, 1945October 5, 1945October 8, 1947George 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.May 15, 1947January 1, 1948May 21, 1949George R. Merrell – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryMay 21, 1949June 28, 1949March 17, 1951J. Rives Childs – Career FSOApril 19, 1951May 14, 1951January 19, 1953Joseph Simonson – Political appointeeJuly 22, 1953October 6, 1953May 1, 1957Don C. Bliss – Career FSOMay 20, 1957June 22, 1957June 4, 1960Arthur L. Richards – Career FSOJune 24, 1960August 26, 1960Left Ethiopia, November 25, 1962Edward M. Korry – Political appointeeMarch 9, 1963April 20, 1963September 22, 1967William O. Hall – Career FSOSeptember 13, 1967October 27, 1967May 15, 1971E. Ross Adair – Political appointeeMay 11, 1971July 8, 1971February 12, 1974Arthur W. Hummel, Jr. – Career FSOFebruary 20, 1975April 3, 1975July 6, 1976Frederic L. Chapin – Career FSOAmbassador Chapin was recalled at the request of the Ethiopian government on July 29, 1980.June 27, 1978July 21, 1978July 29, 1980 The U.S. ambassador was recalled in July 1980 and a series of chargés maintained the embassy until June 1992.Owen W. RobertsChargé d'AffairesJuly 29, 1980UnknownMay 1982David A. KornJune 1982July 1985James CheekJuly 1985August 1988Robert G. HoudekAugust 1988June 1991Marc Allen Baas – Career FSOBaas was commissioned as chargé d’affaires in 1982 and promoted to ambassador in 1992.June 1991June 24, 1992Ambassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryJune 15, 1992June 24, 1992July 8, 1994Irvin Hicks – Career FSOMay 9, 1994July 22, 1994June 26, 1996David H. Shinn – Career FSOJune 6, 1996July 2, 1996August 14, 1999Tibor P. Nagy – Career FSOAugust 9, 1999October 12, 1999July 19, 2002Aurelia E. Brazeal – Career FSOOctober 3, 2002November 20, 2002September 2, 2005Vicki J. HuddlestonChargé d'AffairesSeptember 2, 2005UnknownNovember 9, 2006Donald Yamamoto – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryNovember 9, 2006December 6, 2006July 28, 2009Donald E. Booth – Career FSOApril 2, 2010May 2, 2010August 16, 2013Patricia M. Haslach – Career FSOAugust 14, 2013September 25, 2013August 31, 2016Peter H. VroomanChargé d'AffairesSeptember 1, 2016Unknown July 2017Michael A. Raynor – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryAugust 3, 2017September 29, 2017January 20, 2021David Renz – Career FSOChargé d'AffairesJanuary 20, 2021Unknown March 5, 2021Geeta Pasi – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryDecember 22, 2020March 5, 2021February 25, 2022Tracey Ann Jacobson – Career FSOChargé d'AffairesFebruary 25, 2022September 25, 2023 Gwendolyn Green – Career FSOChargé d'AffairesSeptember 26, 2023 October 3, 2023Ervin Jose MassingaAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryJuly 23, 2023October 3, 2023Incumbent

Notes

See also Ethiopia–United States relations Foreign relations of Ethiopia Ambassadors of the United States

References United States Department of State: Background Notes on Ethiopia 2006

External links United States Department of State: Chiefs of Mission for Ethiopia United States Department of State: Ethiopia United States Embassy in Addis Ababa