List of ambassadors of the United States to Norway

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ambassador of the United States to the Kingdom of Norway
US Department of State official seal.svg
Seal of the United States Department of State
Flag of a United States ambassador.svg
United States ambassador flag
Incumbent
Richard Riley
Chargé d'Affaires a.i,
since May 29, 2020
U.S. Department of State
Embassy of the United States, Oslo
StyleHis Excellency (formal)
Mr. Ambassador (informal)
Reports toU.S. Secretary of State
ResidenceVilla Otium
SeatOslo, Norway
NominatorThe President of the United States
Appointer
with the advice and consent of the Senate
Term lengthAt the pleasure of the President
No fixed term
Inaugural holderCharles H. Graves
as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
FormationMarch 8, 1905
WebsiteU.S. Embassy - Oslo

The United States Ambassador to Norway (formally the Ambassador of the United States to the Kingdom of Norway) is the official representative of the President and the Government of the United States of America to the King and Government of Norway.

Since the United States was recognized as an independent country in 1783, it first established diplomatic relations with Norway in 1818 when Jonathan Russell was accepted as the Minister Plenipotentiary to Sweden and Norway. From 1814 to 1905, Sweden and Norway were in a personal union. Although each country was fully sovereign, they had a common foreign policy and diplomatic service. The United States Ambassador to Sweden thus was the US representative to Norway as well as Sweden. In 1905 Sweden and Norway peacefully separated and Norway continued to be an independent constitutional monarchy. On November 14, 1905, the US State Department instructed Ambassador Charles H. Graves to handle affairs for Sweden and Norway separately and the Ambassador was thus commissioned to Norway equally with Sweden, though he remained in Stockholm.

On June 22, 1906, Herbert H. D. Peirce was appointed to be the first ambassador of the US appointed specifically solely for Norway. On August 6, 1906, the embassy in Stockholm ceased all functions related to Norway. Peirce presented his credentials to the foreign minister of Norway on August 13, 1906.

James P. DeHart assumed duties as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim on January 12, 2017 at the Embassy.[1] On October 23, 2017 President Donald Trump nominated Kenneth Braithwaite to be the next ambassador to Norway.[2] He is a business executive, former town councilman and retired rear admiral of the United States Navy Reserve.[3] He left the post as he was sworn in on May 29, 2020 as the 77th United States Secretary of the Navy.

List of Ambassadors[]

"Villa Otium," the residence of the US Ambassador in Oslo, Norway (Nobels gate 28)[4]
The current US Embassy in Oslo (Morgedalsveien 36)
Name Portrait Appointment Presentation Termination Appointer Notes
Charles H. Graves Charles H. Graves.jpg March 8, 1905 May 31, 1905 August 6, 1906   Theodore Roosevelt Left post
Herbert H. D. Peirce HHDPeirceUSEmbassyOslo.jpg June 22, 1906 August 13, 1906 May 30, 1911 Left post
Laurits S. Swenson Laurits S. Swenson.jpg April 27, 1911 June 10, 1911 October 4, 1913 William H. Taft Left post
Albert G. Schmedeman Albert G Schmedeman.jpg July 21, 1913 October 4, 1913 July 29, 1921   Woodrow Wilson Left post
Laurits S. Swenson Laurits S. Swenson.jpg October 8, 1921 November 28, 1921 November 9, 1930   Warren G. Harding Left post
Hoffman Philip HoffmanPhillipUSEmbassyOslo.jpg July 22, 1930 November 15, 1930 August 3, 1935 Herbert Hoover Left post
Anthony J. Drexel Biddle, Jr. Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle Jr.png July 22, 1935 September 7, 1935 May 21, 1937   Franklin D. Roosevelt Left post
Florence Jaffray Harriman Florence Jaffray Harriman (LCCN2014695667).jpg May 4, 1937 July 1, 1937 April 22, 1940 Left Norway because of WWII, first female ambassador to Norway
Anthony J. Drexel Biddle, Jr. Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle Jr.png February 11, 1941 March 20, 1941 December 1, 1943 Left London, where the government of Norway went into exile
Lithgow Osborne LithgowOsborneUSEmbassyOslo.jpg September 21, 1944 December 20, 1944 April 20, 1946 Left post
Charles Ulrick Bay CharlesUlrickBayUSSEmbassyOslo.jpg June 6, 1946 July 26, 1946 July 31, 1953 Harry S. Truman Left post
Lester Corrin Strong LesterCorrinStrongUSEmbassyOslo.jpg June 24, 1953 August 10, 1953 February 16, 1957   Dwight D. Eisenhower Left post
Frances E. Willis Seal of the United States Department of State.svg May 20, 1957 June 19, 1957 May 15, 1961 Left post
Clifton R. Wharton, Sr. CliftonRWhartonUSEmbassyOslo.jpg March 2, 1961 April 18, 1961 September 4, 1964   John F. Kennedy Left post
Margaret Joy Tibbetts MJTibbettsUSEmbassyOslo.jpg July 31, 1964 October 6, 1964 May 23, 1969 Lyndon B. Johnson Left post
Philip K. Crowe PhilipKCroweUSEmbassyOslo.jpg May 1, 1969 June 23, 1969 August 31, 1973   Richard Nixon Left post
Thomas Ryan Byrne ThomasRByrneUSEmbassyOslo.jpg August 3, 1973 October 4, 1973 April 10, 1976 Left post
William A. Anders William Anders.jpg April 13, 1976 May 11, 1976 June 18, 1977 Gerald R. Ford Left post
Louis A. Lerner LALernerUSEmbassyOslo.jpg July 15, 1977 August 23, 1977 January 28, 1980   Jimmy Carter Left post
Sidney Anders Rand SidneyAndersRandUSEmbassyOlso.jpg December 20, 1979 March 4, 1980 February 14, 1981 Left post
Mark Evans Austad MarkEvansAustadUSEmbassyOslo.jpg December 11, 1981 January 5, 1982 September 15, 1984   Ronald Reagan Left post
R. Douglas Stuart Jr. RDStuartUSEmbassyOslo.jpg September 18, 1984 October 16, 1984 July 17, 1989 Left post
Loret Miller Ruppe LoretmillerRuppeUSEmbassyOslo.jpg August 7, 1989 August 29, 1989 February 28, 1993 George H. W. Bush Left post
Thomas A. Loftus ThomasALofthusUSEmbassyOslo.jpg November 4, 1993 November 18, 1993 December 22, 1997   Bill Clinton Left post
David Hermelin DBHermelinUSEmbassyOslo.jpg November 10, 1997 January 8, 1998 January 7, 2000 Left post
Robin Chandler Duke RobinChandlerDukeUSEmbassyOslo.jpg August 3, 2000 September 12, 2000 March 1, 2001 Left post
John D. Ong JohnOngUSEmbassyOslo.jpg January 30, 2002 February 27, 2002 November 21, 2005   George W. Bush Left post
Benson K. Whitney Benson K. Whitney.jpg November 2, 2005 January 12, 2006 June 20, 2009 Left post
Barry B. White Barry B. White.jpg September 23, 2009 November 5, 2009 September 28, 2013   Barack Obama Left post
Samuel D. Heins Samuel D. Heins official photo (cropped).jpg February 16, 2016 March 10, 2016 January 12, 2017 Left post
Kenneth Braithwaite Kenneth J. Braithwaite official portrait (cropped).jpg December 21, 2017 February 8, 2018 May 29, 2020   Donald Trump Left post

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".

Notes[]

  1. ^ "Ambassador - U.S. Embassy Oslo, Norway". Archived from the original on March 9, 2008.
  2. ^ "PN1173 — Kenneth J. Braithwaite — Department of State". U.S. Congress. October 23, 2017. Retrieved October 25, 2017.
  3. ^ Carey, Kathleen E. (October 24, 2017). "Ex-Ridley Park pol picked as ambassador to Norway". The Delaware County Daily Times. Retrieved October 25, 2017.
  4. ^ Ambassadors residence (Website of the embassy)

See also[]

References[]

External links[]

Retrieved from ""