List of ambassadors of the United States to Estonia explained

Post:Ambassador
Body:the United States to Estonia
Insignia:US Department of State official seal.svg
Insigniasize:120px
Insigniacaption:Seal of the United States Department of State
Incumbent:George P. Kent
Incumbentsince:February 21, 2023
Nominator:The President of the United States
Appointer:The President
Appointer Qualified:with Senate advice and consent
Inaugural:Frederick W.B. Coleman
as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
Formation:September 20, 1922
Website:U.S. Embassy – Tallinn

This is a list of ambassadors of the United States to Estonia.

The United States has maintained continuous official diplomatic relations with Estonia (as well as Latvia and Lithuania) since 1922, when one ambassador, resident in Riga, Latvia, was appointed to all three nations. Relations with the three nations were broken after the Soviet invasion of the republics in 1940 at the beginning of World War II. The United States never recognized the legitimacy of the Soviet occupation of the three Baltic nations, nor the legitimacy of the governments of those states under Soviet occupation. Hence, diplomatic relations were not resumed until 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The U.S. Embassy in Estonia is located in Tallinn.

Ambassadors

!Name!Title!Appointed!Presented credentials!Terminated mission!Notes
Frederick W. B. Coleman[1] – Political appointeeEnvoy Extraordinary and Minister PlenipotentiarySeptember 20, 1922November 20, 1922Left Riga October 20, 1931During Coleman’s tenure as nonresident Minister, the Legation in Tallinn was established on June 30, 1930 with Harry E. Carlson as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim.
Robert Peet Skinner[2] – Career FSOSeptember 23, 1931April 2, 1932Left Riga April 29, 1933
John Van Antwerp MacMurray[3] – Career FSOAugust 28, 1933January 4, 1934Left Riga February 12, 1936
Arthur Bliss Lane – Career FSOJanuary 24, 1936September 10, 1936Left Riga September 16, 1937
Frederick A. Sterling[4] [5] – Career FSOAugust 9, 1937——
John C. Wiley – Career FSOJuly 18, 1938November 24, 1938June 17, 1940Soviet forces occupied Tallinn and Riga on June 17, 1940, which effectively ended the U.S. diplomatic presence in those nations. The legation in Tallinn was officially closed, September 5, 1940.
The United States announced its readiness to reestablish relations with Estonia on September 2, 1991. Embassy Tallinn was established on October 2, 1991, with Robert C. Frasure as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim. He was subsequently commissioned as ambassador. The embassy was established in the same building on Kentmanni Street that had been the U.S. legation before the World War II.[6]
Robert C. Frasure – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryMarch 23, 1992April 9, 1992July 8, 1994The following officers served as chargés d’affaires ad interim: Keith Smith (July–December 1994), and Jon Gundersen (December 1994 – August 1995).
Lawrence P. Taylor – Career FSOJune 27, 1995August 3, 1995August 7, 1997
Melissa Foelsch Wells – Career FSOOctober 1, 1998November 3, 1998September 10, 2001
Joseph M. DeThomas – Career FSONovember 5, 2001December 11, 2001July 7, 2004
Aldona Wos[7] – Political appointeeAugust 2, 2004September 2, 2004December 17, 2006
Stanley Davis Phillips – Political appointeeMarch 21, 2007May 31, 2007January 16, 2009
Karen B. Decker – Career FSOChargé d'Affaires ad interimJanuary 16, 2009December 10, 2009
Michael C. Polt – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiarySeptember 25, 2009December 10, 2009July 22, 2012
Robert S. Gilchrist – Career FSOChargé d'Affaires ad interimJuly 22, 2012September 17, 2012
Jeffrey D. Levine – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryFebruary 17, 2012September 17, 2012September 27, 2015
James D. Melville Jr. – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryMay 7, 2015December 8, 2015July 29, 2018
Elizabeth Horst – Career FSOChargé d’Affaires ad interimJuly 29, 2018August 2, 2019
Brian Roraff - Career FSOChargé d’Affaires ad interimAugust 2, 2019July 22, 2022
Gabrielle Cowan - Career FSOChargé d’Affaires ad interimJuly 22, 2022February 21, 2023
George P. Kent - Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryDecember 21, 2022February 21, 2023Incumbent

See also

References

External links

Notes and References

  1. The ambassador was simultaneously accredited to Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, while resident in Riga, Latvia.
  2. Skinner was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on December 17, 1931.
  3. MacMurray was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on January 15, 1934.
  4. The ambassador was simultaneously accredited to Estonia and Latvia, while resident in Riga.
  5. Sterling took the oath of office but did not proceed to post.
  6. Source: U.S. Embassy in Tallinn: History of U.S. Relations with Estonia
  7. Wos was commissioned during a recess of the Senate.

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