List of ambassadors of the United States to Ghana
| Ambassador of the United States to Ghana | |
|---|---|
 Seal of the United States Department of State | |
 Stephanie S. Sullivan since January 23, 2019 | |
| Nominator | The President of the United States |
| Appointer | The President with Senate advice and consent |
| Inaugural holder | as Chargé d'Affaires |
| Formation | February 28, 1957 |
| Website | U.S. Embassy - Accra |
The following is a list of Ambassadors of the United States to Ghana. The embassy in Accra was established March 6, 1957, with Donald W. Lamm in charge as chargé d'affaires. President Joe Biden nominated career US diplomat and Acting Assistant Secretary/Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Energy Resources Virginia E. Palmer for the position on June 2, 2021; she has yet to be confirmed by the Senate.[1]
Ambassadors[]
U.S. diplomatic terms
Career FSO
After 1915, The United States Department of State began classifying ambassadors as career Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) for those who have served in the Foreign Service for a specified amount of time.
Political appointee
A person who is not a career foreign service officer, but is appointed by the president (often as a reward to political friends).
Appointed
The date that the ambassador took the oath of office; also known as “commissioning”. It follows confirmation of a presidential appointment by the Senate, or a Congressional recess appointment by the president. In the case of a recess appointment, the ambassador requires subsequent confirmation by the Senate to remain in office.
Presented credentials
The date that the ambassador presented his letter of credence to the head of state or appropriate authority of the receiving nation. At this time the ambassador officially becomes the representative of his country. This would normally occur a short time after the ambassador’s arrival on station. The host nation may reject the ambassador by not receiving the ambassador’s letter, but this occurs only rarely.
Terminated mission
Usually the date that the ambassador left the country. In some cases a letter of recall is presented, ending the ambassador’s commission, either as a means of diplomatic protest or because the diplomat is being reassigned elsewhere and replaced by another envoy.
Chargé d'affaires
The person in charge of the business of the embassy when there is no ambassador commissioned to the host country.
Ad interim
Latin phrase meaning "for the time being", "in the meantime".
After 1915, The United States Department of State began classifying ambassadors as career Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) for those who have served in the Foreign Service for a specified amount of time.
Political appointee
A person who is not a career foreign service officer, but is appointed by the president (often as a reward to political friends).
Appointed
The date that the ambassador took the oath of office; also known as “commissioning”. It follows confirmation of a presidential appointment by the Senate, or a Congressional recess appointment by the president. In the case of a recess appointment, the ambassador requires subsequent confirmation by the Senate to remain in office.
Presented credentials
The date that the ambassador presented his letter of credence to the head of state or appropriate authority of the receiving nation. At this time the ambassador officially becomes the representative of his country. This would normally occur a short time after the ambassador’s arrival on station. The host nation may reject the ambassador by not receiving the ambassador’s letter, but this occurs only rarely.
Terminated mission
Usually the date that the ambassador left the country. In some cases a letter of recall is presented, ending the ambassador’s commission, either as a means of diplomatic protest or because the diplomat is being reassigned elsewhere and replaced by another envoy.
Chargé d'affaires
The person in charge of the business of the embassy when there is no ambassador commissioned to the host country.
Ad interim
Latin phrase meaning "for the time being", "in the meantime".
| Name | Title | Appointed | Presented Credentials | Terminated Mission | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [2] - Career FSO | Chargé d'Affaires | March 12, 1957 | April 19, 1957 | ||
| [3] - Career FSO | April 25, 1957 | June 19, 1957 | |||
| Wilson C. Flake - Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | May 20, 1957 | June 19, 1957 | November 21, 1960 | Reaccredited when Ghana became a republic |
| Francis H. Russell[4] - Career FSO | November 11, 1960 | January 23, 1961 | March 13, 1962 | ||
| William P. Mahoney Jr. - Political appointee | May 21, 1962 | June 22, 1962 | May 26, 1965 | ||
| Franklin H. Williams - Political appointee | October 20, 1965 | January 17, 1966 | May 3, 1968 | Reaccredited after change of government | |
| Thomas W. McElhiney - Career FSO | July 24, 1968 | September 14, 1968 | May 29, 1971 | ||
| Fred L. Hadsel - Career FSO | July 23, 1971 | September 25, 1971 | July 29, 1974 | ||
| Shirley Temple Black - Political appointee | September 19, 1974 | December 6, 1974 | July 13, 1976 | ||
| Robert P. Smith - Career FSO | October 4, 1976 | December 17, 1976 | May 7, 1979 | ||
| - Career FSO | September 28, 1979 | December 12, 1979 | July 2, 1983 | ||
| Robert E. Fritts - Career FSO | July 6, 1983 | July 28, 1983 | June 2, 1986 | ||
| [5] - Career FSO | March 27, 1987 | July 11, 1987 | September 9, 1989 | ||
| Raymond Charles Ewing - Career FSO | August 7, 1989 | November 9, 1989 | August 14, 1992 | ||
| Kenneth Lee Brown - Career FSO | July 14, 1992 | September 24, 1992 | July 19, 1995 | ||
| Edward P. Brynn - Career FSO | October 3, 1995 | December 19, 1995 | July 10, 1998 | ||
| Kathryn Dee Robinson - Career FSO | October 22, 1998 | December 16, 1998 | September 1, 2001 | ||
| Nancy Jo Powell - Career FSO | July 16, 2001 | September 14, 2001 | May 26, 2002 | ||
| Mary Carlin Yates - Career FSO | November 26, 2002 | January 28, 2003 | July 25, 2005 | ||
| Pamela E. Bridgewater - Career FSO | June 21, 2005 | October 11, 2005 | June 10, 2008 | ||
| Donald G. Teitelbaum - Career FSO | June 6, 2008 | September 9, 2008 | 2012 | ||
| Gene A. Cretz - Career FSO | April 11, 2012 | September 11, 2012 | July 1, 2015 | ||
| Robert P. Jackson - Career FSO | November 22, 2015 | February 4, 2016 | July 27, 2018 | ||
| Stephanie S. Sullivan - Career FSO | September 10, 2018 | January 23, 2019 | Incumbent |
See also[]
Notes[]
- ^ Ward, Myah (July 2, 2021). "Biden names more ambassadorships, including Amy Gutmann for Germany". POLITICO. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
- ^ Not commissioned; letter of credence dated February 28, 1957.
- ^ Not commissioned; letter of credence dated April 17, 1957.
- ^ Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Feb 6, 1961.
- ^ Nomination of Oct 3, 1986, was not acted upon by the Senate.
References[]
- United States Department of State: Background notes on Ghana
This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Department of State website https://www.state.gov/countries-areas/. (U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets)
This article incorporates Senior Staff Of Travel Relations Peter Asante Smith
External links[]
- United States Department of State: Chiefs of Mission for Ghana
- United States Department of State: Ghana
- United States Embassy in Accra
| Chargé d'Affaires |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | ||
Categories:
- Lists of ambassadors of the United States
- Lists of ambassadors to Ghana
- Ambassadors of the United States to Ghana
- Ghana–United States relations