List of ambassadors of the United States to Lesotho

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

Ambassador of the United States to Lesotho
Seal of the United States Department of State
Incumbent
Rebecca Gonzales
since February 8, 2018
NominatorThe President of the United States
AppointerThe President
with Senate advice and consent
Inaugural holderRichard St. F. Post
as Chargé d'affaires ad interim
FormationOctober 4, 1966
Websitels.usembassy.gov

Prior to 1965, the area of southern Africa that is now Lesotho was a Crown colony 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
  • 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 Canavan – 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]
  • Matthew T. Harrington – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: September 22, 2014
    • Presented credentials: October 18, 2014
    • Terminated mission: January 20, 2017
  • Rebecca Gonzales – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: November 16, 2017
    • Presented credentials: February 8, 2018
    • Terminated mission: Incumbent

Notes
  1. 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. "June Carter Perry". US Department of State. Retrieved 2014-04-01.
  5. "Nolan, Robert". US Department of State. Retrieved 2014-04-01.
  6. "Bond, Michele Thoren". US Department of State. Archived from the original on 2013-10-13. Retrieved 2014-04-01.

See also

References
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