List of ambassadors of the United States to Sri Lanka and the Maldives
| Ambassador of the United States to Sri Lanka and the Maldives | |
|---|---|
 Seal of the United States Department of State | |
 Julie J. Chung since February 25, 2022 | |
| Nominator | The President of the United States |
| Appointer | The President with Senate advice and consent |
| Inaugural holder | Felix Cole as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary |
| Formation | August 3, 1949 |
| Website | U.S. Embassy – Colombo |
| 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". |
The position of United States Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives has existed since 1949.[notes 1] Sri Lanka–United States relations and Maldives–United States relations have been friendly throughout the history of Sri Lanka and the history of the Maldives. The diplomatic mission representing the United States in both countries is located in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Jefferson House is the ambassadorial residence of the ambassador in Colombo.
United States Ambassadors to Ceylon
| # | Name | Start date | Finish date | References | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Felix Cole | August 3, 1949 | October 30, 1949 | Harry S. Truman | |
| 2 | Joseph C. Satterthwaite | November 19, 1949 | July 25, 1953 | Harry S. Truman | |
| 3 | Maxwell Henry Gluck | September 19, 1953 | September 27, 1956 | Dwight D. Eisenhower | |
| 4 | Philip K. Crowe | September 19, 1957 | October 2, 1958 | Dwight D. Eisenhower | |
| 5 | James Lampton Berry | November 22, 1958 | June 3, 1959 | Dwight D. Eisenhower | |
| 6 | Bernard Gufler | August 24, 1959 | March 1, 1961 | Dwight D. Eisenhower | |
| 7 | Frances E. Willis | May 11, 1961 | September 20, 1964 | John F. Kennedy | |
| 8 | Cecil B. Lyon | October 30, 1964 | June 17, 1967 | Lyndon B. Johnson | |
| 9 | Andrew V. Corry | May 24, 1967 | March 21, 1970 | Lyndon B. Johnson |
United States Ambassadors to Sri Lanka
| # | Name | Image | Career track | Start date | Finish date | President(s) | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Robert Strausz-Hupé | Political appointee | May 3, 1970 | December 12, 1971 | Richard Nixon | ||
| 11 | Christopher Van Hollen | Career FSO | October 27, 1972 | April 21, 1976 | Richard Nixon | ||
| 12 | John H. Reed |  | Political appointee | July 2, 1976 | June 1, 1977 | Gerald Ford | |
| 13 | William Howard Wriggins | Political appointee | August 18, 1977 | December 13, 1979 | Jimmy Carter | ||
| 14 | Donald R. Toussaint | Career FSO | January 21, 1980 | January 17, 1982 | Jimmy Carter | ||
| 15 | John H. Reed | | Political appointee | February 8, 1982 | September 3, 1985 | Ronald Reagan | |
| 16 | James W. Spain | Career FSO | November 21, 1985 | June 16, 1989 | Ronald Reagan | ||
| 17 | Marion V. Creekmore, Jr. | Career FSO | November 29, 1989 | August 27, 1992 | George H. W. Bush | ||
| 18 | Teresita Currie Schaffer | Career FSO | October 7, 1992 | August 15, 1995 | George H. W. Bush | ||
| 19 | Peter Burleigh |  | Career FSO | January 19, 1996 | August 1, 1997 | Bill Clinton | |
| 20 | Shaun E. Donnelly | December 19, 1997 | August 16, 2000 | Bill Clinton | |||
| 21 | E. Ashley Wills | November 13, 2000 | June 17, 2003 | Bill Clinton | |||
| 22 | Jeffrey Lunstead | September 26, 2003 | September 9, 2006 | George W. Bush | |||
| 23 | Robert O. Blake, Jr. |  | Career FSO | September 9, 2006 | May 21, 2009 | George W. Bush | |
| 24 | Patricia A. Butenis |  | Career FSO | September 17, 2009 | August 1, 2012 | Barack Obama | |
| 25 | Michele J. Sison |  | Career FSO | September 14, 2012 | December 6, 2014 | Barack Obama | |
| 26 | Atul Keshap |  | Career FSO | August 21, 2015 | July 15, 2018 | Barack Obama | |
| 27 | Alaina B. Teplitz |  | Career FSO | November 1, 2018 | December 6, 2021 | Donald Trump | |
| 28 | Julie J. Chung |  | Career FSO | February 25, 2022 | Incumbent | Joe Biden |
Notes
- ^ until 1972 the name was: "United States Ambassador to Ceylon and the Maldives"
See also
- Sri Lanka – United States relations
- Maldives – United States relations
- Foreign relations of Sri Lanka
- Foreign relations of the Maldives
- Ambassadors of the United States
References
- United States Department of State: Background notes on Sri Lanka
- United States Department of State: Background notes on the Maldives
This article incorporates public domain material from U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets. United States Department of State.
External links
- United States Department of State: Chiefs of Mission for Sri Lanka
- United States Department of State: Chiefs of Mission for Maldives
- United States Department of State: Sri Lanka
- United States Department of State: Maldives
- United States Embassy in Colombo
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