The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland was dissolved on December 31, 1963, and Malawi became a fully independent member of the Commonwealth of Nations on July 6, 1964.
The United States immediately recognized the new nation and moved to establish diplomatic relations. The U.S. embassy in Blantyre (later Zomba) was established July 6, 1964—independence day for Malawi.
Ambassadors +NameTitleAppointedPresented credentialsTerminated mission NotesSam P. Gilstrap – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryJuly 1, 1964July 8, 1964October 6, 1965Marshall P. Jones – Career FSOJones was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on January 27, 1966.November 10, 1965January 13, 1966March 20, 1970Jones was reaccredited after Malawi became a republic and presented new credentials July 8, 1966.William C. Burdett Jr. – Career FSOApril 8, 1970May 13, 1970May 11, 1974Robert A. Stevenson – Career FSOJune 20, 1974August 15, 1974May 21, 1978 The Embassy was moved to Lilongwe April 1, 1976, during Stevenson’s tenure.Harold E. Horan – Career FSOAugust 11, 1978January 24, 1979July 17, 1980 The post was vacant July 1980–August 1981. Robert M. Maxim served as chargé d'affaires during that interval.John A. Burroughs, Jr. – Political appointeeAn earlier nomination of September 22, 1980 was not acted upon by the Senate.May 7, 1981August 17, 1981June 9, 1984Weston Adams – Political AppointeeJune 11, 1984August 17, 1984August 8, 1986 The post was vacant August 1986–May 1988. Dennis C. Jett served as chargé d'affaires ad interim during that period.George Arthur Trail III – Career FSOApril 28, 1988May 13, 1988May 2, 1991Michael T. F. Pistor – Career FSOJuly 1, 1991July 25, 1991June 20, 1994Peter R. Chaveas – Career FSOMay 9, 1994September 12, 1994June 27, 1997Amelia Ellen Shippy – Career FSONovember 7, 1997February 2, 1998August 5, 2000Roger A. Meece – Career FSOSeptember 15, 2000November 7, 2000July 20, 2003Steven A. Browning – Career FSOMay 27, 2003September 19, 2003May 16, 2004Alan W. Eastham – Career FSOAugust 2, 2005August 25, 2005July 15, 2008Peter Bodde – Career FSOJune 6, 2008October 28, 2008August 1, 2010Edward W. Holmes served as chargé d'affaires ad interim from August 2010 to July 2011Jeanine E. Jackson, Career FSO July 5, 2011October 20, 2011September 25, 2014Virginia E. Palmer, Career FSO December 18, 2014February 27, 2015June 7, 2019Robert K. Scott, Career FSO April 16, 2019August 6, 2019October 20, 2021David Young, Career FSO March 2, 2022May 5, 2022February 12, 2024Amy W. Diaz, Career FSO Chargé d'Affaires ad interimFebruary 12, 2024July 11, 2025Philip R. Nelson, Career FSO July 11, 2025August 8, 2025Melania Arreaga, Career FSO August 8, 2025August 30, 2025Jonathan Fischer, Career FSO September 1, 2025July 17, 2026Melania R. Arreaga, Career FSO July 17, 2026Present
Notes
See also Malawi – United States relations Foreign relations of Malawi Ambassadors of the United States
References United States Department of State: Background notes on Malawi
External links United States Department of State: Chiefs of Mission for Malawi United States Department of State: Malawi United States Embassy in Lilongwe