List of ambassadors of the United States to Norway

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.

Ambassador of the United States to the Kingdom of Norway
Seal of the United States Department of State
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 termlength = At the pleasure of the President
Term length
No fixed term
Inaugural holderCharles H. Graves
as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
FormationMarch 8, 1905
WebsiteU.S. Embassy - Oslo

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 State Appointment Presentation Termination Appointer Notes
Charles H. Graves Minnesota March 8, 1905 May 31, 1905 August 6, 1906   Theodore Roosevelt Left post
Herbert H. D. Peirce Massachusetts June 22, 1906 August 13, 1906 May 30, 1911 Left post
Laurits S. Swenson Minnesota April 27, 1911 June 10, 1911 October 4, 1913 William H. Taft Left post
Albert G. Schmedeman Wisconsin July 21, 1913 October 4, 1913 July 29, 1921   Woodrow Wilson Left post
Laurits S. Swenson Minnesota October 8, 1921 November 28, 1921 November 9, 1930   Warren G. Harding Left post
Hoffman Philip New York July 22, 1930 November 15, 1930 August 3, 1935 Herbert Hoover Left post
Anthony J. Drexel Biddle, Jr. Pennsylvania July 22, 1935 September 7, 1935 May 21, 1937   Franklin D. Roosevelt Left post
Florence Jaffray Harriman New York May 4, 1937 July 1, 1937 April 22, 1940 Left Norway because of WWII, first female ambassador to Norway
Anthony J. Drexel Biddle, Jr. Pennsylvania February 11, 1941 March 20, 1941 December 1, 1943 Left London, where the government of Norway went into exile
Lithgow Osborne New York September 21, 1944 December 20, 1944 April 20, 1946 Left post
Charles Ulrick Bay New York June 6, 1946 July 26, 1946 July 31, 1953 Harry S. Truman Left post
Lester Corrin Strong District of Columbia June 24, 1953 August 10, 1953 February 16, 1957   Dwight D. Eisenhower Left post
Frances E. Willis California May 20, 1957 June 19, 1957 May 15, 1961 Left post
Clifton R. Wharton, Sr. California March 2, 1961 April 18, 1961 September 4, 1964   John F. Kennedy Left post
Margaret Joy Tibbetts Maine July 31, 1964 October 6, 1964 May 23, 1969 Lyndon B. Johnson Left post
Philip K. Crowe Maryland May 1, 1969 June 23, 1969 August 31, 1973   Richard Nixon Left post
Thomas Ryan Byrne Pennsylvania August 3, 1973 October 4, 1973 April 10, 1976 Left post
William A. Anders Virginia April 13, 1976 May 11, 1976 June 18, 1977 Gerald R. Ford Left post
Louis A. Lerner Illinois July 15, 1977 August 23, 1977 January 28, 1980   Jimmy Carter Left post
Sidney Anders Rand Minnesota December 20, 1979 March 4, 1980 February 14, 1981 Left post
Mark Evans Austad Arizona December 11, 1981 January 5, 1982 September 15, 1984   Ronald Reagan Left post
R. Douglas Stuart Jr. Illinois September 18, 1984 October 16, 1984 July 17, 1989 Left post
Loret Miller Ruppe Maryland August 7, 1989 August 29, 1989 February 28, 1993 George H. W. Bush Left post
Thomas A. Loftus Wisconsin November 4, 1993 November 18, 1993 December 22, 1997   Bill Clinton Left post
David Hermelin Michigan November 10, 1997 January 8, 1998 January 7, 2000 Left post
Robin Chandler Duke New York August 3, 2000 September 12, 2000 March 1, 2001 Left post
John D. Ong Ohio January 30, 2002 February 27, 2002 November 21, 2005   George W. Bush Left post
Benson K. Whitney Minnesota November 2, 2005 January 12, 2006 June 20, 2009 Left post
Barry B. White Massachusetts September 23, 2009 November 5, 2009 September 28, 2013   Barack Obama Left post
Samuel D. Heins Minnesota February 16, 2016 March 10, 2016 January 12, 2017 Left post
Kenneth Braithwaite Pennsylvania December 21, 2017 February 8, 2018 May 29, 2020   Donald Trump Left post

Notes
  1. https://norway.usembassy.gov/ambassador2.html
  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
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