In the United States, the chief of protocol is an officer of the United States Department of State responsible for advising the president of the United States, the vice president of the United States, and the United States secretary of state on matters of national and international diplomatic protocol. The chief of protocol holds the rank of ambassador and assistant secretary of state. All chiefs of protocol since 1961 have held the rank of ambassador.
Duties
The chief arranges itineraries for foreign dignitaries visiting the U.S. and accompanies the president on all official international travel. Additionally, the office is responsible for accrediting foreign diplomats and publishing the list of foreign consular offices in the U.S., organizing ceremonies for treaty signings, conducting ambassadorial swearing-in and state arrival ceremonies, and maintaining Blair House, the official guest house for state visitors.
The chief of protocol duties include being present at the annual State of the Union speech (SOTU) given by the president each January before Congress. These SOTU duties include escorting the dean of the Diplomatic Corps into the House Chamber for the SOTU speech.
The chief of protocol position should not be confused with the separate White House social secretary position.
Divisions The office identifies six divisions on its website, led by assistant chiefs, who oversee the following principal duties:
Management Visits Ceremonials Diplomatic Affairs Blair House Major Events
List of chiefs of protocol of the United States #ImageNameAssumed officeLeft officePresident served under1James Clement DunnFebruary 4, 1928November 17, 1930Calvin CoolidgeHerbert Hoover2F. Lammot BelinNovember 17, 1930September 15, 1931 Herbert Hoover3Warren Delano RobbinsSeptember 15, 1931June 11, 19334James Clement DunnJune 11, 1933April 11, 1935 Franklin D. Roosevelt5Richard SouthgateApril 11, 1935July 29, 19376George T. SummerlinJuly 29, 1937January 15, 19447Stanley WoodwardJanuary 15, 1944May 22, 1950Franklin D. RooseveltHarry S. Truman8John F. SimmonsAugust 18, 1950January 31, 1957Harry S. TrumanDwight D. Eisenhower9Wiley T. Buchanan Jr.February 4, 1957January 23, 1961Dwight D. Eisenhower10Angier Biddle DukeJanuary 24, 1961January 20, 1965John F. KennedyLyndon B. Johnson11Lloyd Nelson HandJanuary 21, 1965March 21, 1966 Lyndon B. Johnson12James W. SymingtonMarch 22, 1966March 31, 196813Angier Biddle DukeApril 1, 1968September 26, 196814Tyler AbellSeptember 30, 1968January 20, 196915Emil MosbacherJanuary 21, 1969June 30, 1972 Richard Nixon - Marion H. Smoak July 1, 1972March 1, 1974 (acting)16March 1, 1974March 30, 197417Henry E. Catto Jr.April 3, 1974July 1, 1976Richard NixonGerald Ford18Shirley Temple BlackJuly 1, 1976January 21, 1977Gerald Ford19Evan DobelleMarch 2, 1977May 22, 1978 Jimmy Carter20Edith H. J. DobelleNovember 3, 1978September 26, 197921Abelardo L. ValdezOctober 19, 1979January 21, 1981 -Morgan Mason (acting)January 21, 1981March 20, 1981 Ronald Reagan22Leonore AnnenbergMarch 20, 1981January 6, 198223Selwa RooseveltApril 16, 1982January 20, 198924Joseph Verner Reed Jr.May 21, 1989October 21, 1991 George H. W. Bush25John Giffen WeinmannOctober 31, 1991January 20, 199326Molly M. RaiserSeptember 14, 1993July 24, 1997 Bill Clinton27Mary Mel FrenchNovember 13, 1997January 20, 200128Donald EnsenatJune 6, 2001February 18, 2007 George W. Bush -Raymond P. Martinez (acting)February 18, 2007September 14, 200729Nancy Brinker September 14, 2007January 20, 200930Capricia MarshallAugust 3, 2009August 1, 2013 Barack Obama -Natalie Jones (acting)August 1, 2013May 13, 201431Peter A. SelfridgeMay 13, 2014January 20, 2017 -Post vacant (January 20, 2017 – December 1, 2017)32Sean LawlerDecember 1, 2017July 9, 2019 Donald Trump -Mary-Kate Fisher (acting)June 24, 2019August 12, 201933Cam HendersonAugust 12, 2019January 20, 2021 -Asel Roberts (acting)January 20, 2021January 3, 2022 Joe Biden34Rufus Gifford January 3, 2022July 28, 2023 -Ethan Rosenzweig (acting)August 1, 2023January 20, 202535Monica CrowleyMay 30, 2025PresentDonald Trump
See also Chief of protocol Diplomatic rank Protocol (diplomacy) United States order of precedence
References
External links Office of the Chief of Protocol List of Chiefs of Protocol