United States Ambassador to Lesotho

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Ambassador of the United States to Lesotho
Seal of the United States Department of State.svg
Seal of the United States Department of State
Incumbent
Carl B. Fox
as Chargé d'Affaires a.i.
since 2012
Nominator Barack Obama
Inaugural holder Richard St. F. Post
as Chargé d'affaires ad interim
Formation October 4, 1966
Website U.S. Embassy - Maseru

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

Prior to 1965, the area of southern Africa that is now Lesotho was a British protectorate by the name of Basutoland. Along with most of the Empire’s other colonies and protectorates, Basutoland gained full independence from Britain in the 1960s. The nation was granted full autonomy on April 30, 1965. On October 4, 1966, Basutoland was granted independence, governed by a constitutional monarchy with a bicameral parliament. At the same time the name of the country was changed to The Kingdom of Lesotho.

The United States immediately recognized Lesotho after the nation gained its independence. An embassy in Maseru was established on October 4, 1966, Lesotho’s independence day. Richard St. F. Post was appointed as chargé d'affaires ad interim pending the arrival of an ambassador. The first ambassador, Charles J. Nelson was appointed on June 9, 1971.

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.

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. See chargé d'affaires.

Ad interim
Latin phrase meaning "for the time being", "in the meantime". See ad interim.
  • Note: Pending appointment of the first ambassador, the following officers served as chargé d'affaires ad interim: Richard St. F. Post (October 1966–July 1968), Norman E. Barth (July 1968–August 1969), and Stephen G. Gebelt (October 1969–December 1970).
  • Note: Until 1979 one ambassador was accredited to Lesotho, Swaziland, and Botswana. The ambassador was resident in Gaborone, Botswana.
  • Charles J. Nelson – Career FSO[1]
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: June 9, 1971
    • Presented credentials: September 23, 1971
    • Terminated mission: Left Gaborone, March 2, 1974
  • David B. Bolen – Career FSO[1]
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: February 28, 1974
    • Presented credentials: April 25, 1974
    • Terminated mission: Left Gaborone, August 11, 1976
  • Donald R. Norland – Career FSO[1][2]
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: November 17, 1976
    • Presented credentials: January 6, 1977
    • Terminated mission: Left Gaborone, October 6, 1979
  • Note: Beginning in 1979, the ambassador was accredited solely to Lesotho and resident in Maseru.
  • John R. Clingerman – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: September 28, 1979
    • Presented credentials: November 1, 1979
    • Terminated mission: Left post, November 15, 1981
  • Keith Lapham Brown – Political appointee
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: March 9, 1982
    • Presented credentials: March 25, 1982
    • Terminated mission: Left post, December 1, 1983
  • Shirley Abbott – Political appointee
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: May 11, 1984
    • Presented credentials: July 3, 1984
    • Terminated mission: Left post, July 7, 1989
  • Robert M. Smalley – Political appointee
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: June 15, 1987
    • Presented credentials: July 2, 1987
    • Terminated mission: Left post, July 7, 1989
  • Jerry Alexander Moore, Jr. – Political appointee[3]
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed:
    • Presented credentials:
    • Terminated mission:
  • Note: Howard F. Jeter served as chargé d'affaires ad interim July 1989–January 1991.
  • Leonard H. O. Spearman – Political appointee
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: October 22, 1990
    • Presented credentials: January 24, 1991
    • Terminated mission: Left post, April 25, 1993
  • Note: Karl Hoffmann served as chargé d'affaires ad interim, April 1993–April 1995.
  • Bismarck Myrick – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: March 4, 1995
    • Presented credentials: April 27, 1995
    • Terminated mission: Left post June 10, 1998
  • Katherine Hubay Peterson – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: June 29, 1998
    • Presented credentials: September 18, 1998
    • Terminated mission: Left post June 1, 2001
  • Robert Geers Loftis – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: August 6, 2001
    • Presented credentials: October 11, 2001
    • Terminated mission: Left post June 18, 2004
  • June Carter Perry – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: July 2, 2004
    • Presented credentials: September 23, 2004
    • Terminated mission: 2007[4]
  • Robert B. Nolan – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: September 26, 2007
    • Presented credentials: October 10, 2007
    • Terminated mission: September 3, 2010[5]
  • Michele T. Bond – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: September 14, 2010
    • Presented credentials: October 28, 2010
    • Terminated mission: 2012[6]

2013 Ambassador Appointment

On 1 August 2013, the White House announced the nomination of career Foreign Service officer Matthew T. Harrington to serve as Ambassador to the Kingdom of Lesotho, pending Senate confirmation.[7]

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Accredited to Lesotho, Swaziland, and Botswana; resident at Gaborone.
  2. ↑ Norland was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on June 24, 1977.
  3. ↑ President Bush’s nomination of July 11, 1989 not acted upon by the Senate.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

See also

References

External links

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