List of ambassadors of the United States to Portugal

Bilateral diplomatic relations between the United States and Portugal date from the earliest years of the United States. Following the Revolutionary War, Portugal was the first neutral country to recognize the United States. On February 21, 1791, President George Washington opened formal diplomatic relations, naming Col. David Humphreys as U.S. Minister Resident. Subsequent envoys were given the title Minister Plenipotentiary.

Chiefs of mission

Name Portrait State of residency Type of appointee Title Appointment Presentation of credentials Termination of missionDavid HumphreysConnecticutMinister ResidentFebruary 21, 1791May 13, 1791Presented recall on July 25, 1797William Loughton SmithSouth CarolinaMinister PlenipotentiaryJuly 10, 1797September 8, 1797Presented recall on September 9, 1801Thomas Sumter Jr.South CarolinaMinister PlenipotentiaryMarch 7, 1809June 7, 1810Presented recall on July 24, 1819John GrahamPennsylvania, VirginiaMinister PlenipotentiaryJanuary 6, 1819June 24, 1819Left Rio de Janeiro June 13, 1820John James AppletonMassachusettsChargé d'Affaires ad interimBegan Service June 1820Appleton's last despatch was dated July 12, 1821 (the Legation to Portugal at Rio de Janeiro was closed in 1821)Henry Dearborn Sr.MassachusettsEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryMay 7, 1822Arrived at Lisbon before August 16, 1822; did not report date of presentation of credentialsHad farewell audience June 30, 1824Thomas Ludwell Lee BrentVirginiaChargé d'AffairesMarch 9, 1825June 24, 1825Reaccredited after a change in government; presented new credentials on January 18, 1830Left post on or soon after November 28, 1834Edward KavanaughMaineChargé d'AffairesMarch 3, 1835July 25, 1835Relinquished charge April 19, 1841Washington BarrowMississippiChargé d'AffairesAugust 16, 1841December 28, 1841Presented recall on February 24, 1844Abraham RencherNorth CarolinaChargé d'AffairesSeptember 22, 1843Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned on January 11, 1844, after confirmation.February 24, 1844Presented recall on November 4, 1847George Washington HopkinsVirginiaChargé d'AffairesMarch 3, 1847November 4, 1847Presented recall on October 18, 1849James Brown ClayKentuckyChargé d'AffairesAugust 1, 1849October 18, 1849Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned on March 18, 1850, after confirmation.Left post on August 19, 1850Charles Brickett HaddockNew HampshireChargé d'AffairesDecember 10, 1850June 17, 1851Presented recall on June 16, 1854John Louis O'SullivanNew YorkChargé d'AffairesFebruary 16, 1854June 16, 1854Promoted to Minister Resident October 19, 1854Minister ResidentJune 29, 1854October 19, 1854Presented recall on July 15, 1858George Washington MorganOhioMinister ResidentMay 11, 1858July 15, 1858Presented recall on July 19, 1861James E. HarveyPennsylvaniaMinister ResidentMarch 28, 1861July 19, 1861Presented recall on July 15, 1869Samuel ShellabargerOhioMinister ResidentApril 21, 1869July 15, 1869Relinquished charge January 1, 1870Charles Hance LewisVirginiaMinister ResidentMarch 15, 1870June 15, 1870Presented recall on April 8, 1875Benjamin MoranPennsylvaniaMinister ResidentDecember 15, 1874April 8, 1875Presented recall on November 9, 1876Chargé d'AffairesAugust 15, 1876November 15, 1876Recall presented by successor September 27, 1882John Morgan FrancisNew YorkMinister Resident/Consul GeneralJuly 7, 1882October 5, 1882Left post on August 25, 1884Lewis RichmondRhode IslandMinister Resident/Consul GeneralJuly 4, 1884October 23, 1884Presented recall on May 7, 1885Edward Parke Custis LewisNew JerseyMinister Resident/Consul GeneralApril 2, 1885June 18, 1885Presented recall on June 14, 1889George Bailey LoringMassachusettsMinister Resident/Consul GeneralMarch 30, 1889August 29, 1889Left post on May 31, 1890George Sherman BatchellerNew YorkMinister Resident/Consul GeneralOctober 1, 1890December 30, 1890Left post on August 17, 1892Gilbert Ashville PierceMinnesotaMinister Resident/Consul GeneralJanuary 6, 1893March 20, 1893Presented recall on May 24, 1893George William CaruthArkansasEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryApril 25, 1893June 30, 1893Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned on August 22, 1893, after confirmation.Presented recall on July 24, 1897Lawrence TownsendPennsylvaniaEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryJune 9, 1897August 18, 1897Presented recall on May 29, 1899John Nichol IrwinIowaEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryApril 12, 1899December 26, 1899Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned on December 14, 1899, after confirmation.Left post on May 15, 1900Francis Butler LoomisOhioEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryJune 17, 1901August 14, 1901Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned on December 10, 1901, after confirmation.Left post on September 16, 1902Charles Page BryanIllinoisEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryJanuary 7, 1903April 25, 1903Left post on January 16, 1910Henry Tifft GageCaliforniaEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryDecember 21, 1909June 11, 1910Normal relations interrupted on October 5, 1910The new Government of Portugal was still unrecognized by the United States when Gage left post on November 19, 1910.Edwin Vernon MorganNew YorkEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryMay 24, 1911August 3, 1911Left post on February 11, 1912Cyrus E. WoodsPennsylvaniaEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryJanuary 25, 1912March 20, 1912Presented recall on August 19, 1913Thomas Howard BirchNew JerseyNon-career appointeeEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiarySeptember 10, 1913December 15, 1913Left post on March 15, 1922Fred Morris DearingMissouriCareer Foreign Service OfficerEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryFebruary 10, 1922June 6, 1922Relinquished charge February 28, 1930John Glover SouthKentuckyNon-career appointeeEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryDecember 16, 1929March 26, 1930Left post on July 28, 1933Robert Granville CaldwellTexasNon-career appointeeEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryJune 13, 1933August 21, 1933Left post on May 28, 1937Herbert Claiborne PellRhode IslandNon-career appointeeEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryMay 27, 1937July 31, 1937Left post on February 3, 1941Bert FishFloridaNon-career appointeeEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryFebruary 11, 1941March 26, 1941Died at post on July 21, 1943Raymond Henry NorwebOhioCareer Foreign Service OfficerEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiaryWith the personal rank of Ambassador.November 15, 1943December 3, 1943Promoted to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary June 20, 1944Ambassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryMay 4, 1944June 20, 1944Left post on February 15, 1945Herman Benjamin BaruchNew YorkNon-career appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryFebruary 9, 1945Officially recognized as of April 12, 1945Left post on March 9, 1947John Cooper WileyIndianaCareer Foreign Service OfficerAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryApril 10, 1947June 18, 1947Left post March 15, 1948Lincoln MacVeaghConnecticutNon-career appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryApril 8, 1948June 9, 1948Left post on February 26, 1952Cavendish Wells CannonUtahCareer Foreign Service OfficerAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryMarch 13, 1952June 2, 1952Left post on August 1, 1953M. Robert GuggenheimDistrict of ColumbiaNon-career appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryJune 24, 1953August 12, 1953Left post on September 19, 1954James Cowles Hart BonbrightNew YorkCareer Foreign Service OfficerAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryJanuary 24, 1955February 18, 1955Left post on November 27, 1958Charles Burke ElbrickKentuckyCareer Foreign Service OfficerAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryOctober 29, 1958January 13, 1959Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned on January 29, 1959, after confirmation.Left post on August 31, 1963George Whelan Anderson Jr.District of ColumbiaNon-career appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryAugust 1, 1963October 22, 1963Left post on June 1, 1966William Tapley Bennett Jr.GeorgiaCareer Foreign Service OfficerAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryMay 10, 1966July 20, 1966Left Post on July 21, 1969Ridgway Brewster KnightDistrict of ColumbiaCareer Foreign Service OfficerAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryJuly 8, 1969July 30, 1969Left post on February 24, 1973New YorkStuart Nash ScottNew YorkNon-career appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryDecember 19, 1973January 23, 1974Left post on January 12, 1975Frank Charles Carlucci IIIPennsylvaniaCareer Foreign Service OfficerAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryDecember 9, 1974January 24, 1975Left post on February 5, 1978Richard Joseph BloomfieldMarylandCareer Foreign Service OfficerAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryFebruary 3, 1978March 10, 1978Left post on June 10, 1982Henry Allen Holmes Jr.District of ColumbiaCareer Foreign Service OfficerAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiarySeptember 23, 1982October 15, 1982Left post on June 26, 1985Frank J. ShakespeareConnecticutNon-career appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryAugust 2, 1985October 16, 1985Left post on October 4, 1986Edward Morgan RowellCaliforniaCareer Foreign Service OfficerAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryJanuary 19, 1988January 29, 1988Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned on May 12, 1988, after confirmation.Left post on March 30, 1990Everett Ellis BriggsMaineCareer Foreign Service OfficerAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryApril 1, 1990May 25, 1990Left post on September 3, 1993New HampshireSharon P. WilkinsonNew YorkCareer Foreign Service OfficerChargé d'AffairesSeptember 3, 1993September 21, 1994Elizabeth Frawley BagleyDistrict of ColumbiaNon-career appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryJuly 5, 1994September 21, 1994Left post on October 3, 1997Gerald S. McGowanVirginiaNon-career appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryNovember 10, 1997March 10, 1998Left post on July 3, 2001John N. PalmerMississippiNon-career appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryNovember 5, 2001November 28, 2001Left post on September 25, 2004Alfred HoffmanFloridaNon-career appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryOctober 12, 2005November 30, 2005Left post on September 15, 2007Thomas F. StephensonCaliforniaNon-career appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryOctober 29, 2007February 8, 2008Left post on June 21, 2009Allan J. KatzFloridaNon-career appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryMarch 19, 2010April 28, 2010Left post on July 28, 2013Robert A. ShermanMassachusettsNon-career appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryMarch 4, 2014May 3, 2014Left post on January 20, 2017Herro MustafaNorth CarolinaCareer Foreign Service OfficerChargé d'AffairesJanuary 20, 2017August 25, 2017George E. GlassOregonNon-career appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryAugust 9, 2017August 30, 2017January 13, 2021Kristin M. KaneCaliforniaCareer Foreign Service OfficerChargé d'AffairesJanuary 13, 2021June 30, 2022Randi Charno LevineNew YorkNon-career appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryOctober 29, 2021April 22, 2022January 20, 2025Douglas KoneffWashington D.C.Career Foreign Service OfficerChargé d'AffairesJanuary 20, 2025September 15, 2025John ArrigoFloridaNon-career appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryAugust 2, 2025September 30, 2025

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