List of ambassadors of the United States to Tanzania

The present country of Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, was created upon the union of the formerly independent countries of Tanganyika and the People's Republic of Zanzibar (P.R.Z.).

Ambassador of the United States to Tanzania
Seal of the United States Department of State
Incumbent
Donald J. Wright
since August 2, 2020
NominatorDonald Trump
Inaugural holderWilliam Leonhart
as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
FormationAugust 22, 1962
WebsiteU.S. Embassy - Dar es Salaam

Tanganyika became independent from the United Kingdom (U.K.) on December 9, 1961. The United States (U.S.) immediately recognized the new nation and moved to establish diplomatic relations. The U.S. embassy in Dar es Salaam opened on the day of Tanganyika's independence. William R. Duggan served as the chargé d'affaires ad interim pending the appointment of an ambassador.

The Sultanate of Zanzibar became independent from the U.K. on December 19, 1963, as a constitutional monarchy headed by its sultan. The U.S. established an embassy in Zanzibar on December 10, 1963, with Frederick P. Picard III serving as chargé d'affaires ad interim. In January 1964, the sultan was overthrown and the P.R.Z. was established.

On April 26, 1964, Tanganyika united with the P.R.Z. to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar (U.R.T.Z.). The U.S. ambassador to Tanganyika, William Leonhart, immediately became the ambassador to the U.R.T.Z. A U.S. ambassador to the P.R.Z. had not yet been appointed when that country united with Tanganyika. In lieu of an ambassador, Frank C. Carlucci III was serving as the chargé d'affaires ad interim and continued in that capacity until the U.S. embassy was downgraded to a consulate general on June 27, 1964.

The country was renamed the United Republic of Tanzania on October 29, 1964.

The U.S. did not have an ambassador to Tanzania from October 2016 to August 2020.[1]

Ambassadors

The following have served as U.S. "Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary" to Tanganyika or Tanzania, or both:[1]

  • William Leonhart – Career FSO[2]
    • Appointed: August 22, 1962
    • Presented credentials: October 3, 1962
    • Terminated mission: Left post December 22, 1965
  • John H. Burns – Career FSO
    • Appointed: September 24, 1965
    • Presented credentials: January 3, 1966
    • Terminated mission: Left post June 22, 1969
  • Claude G. Ross – Career FSO
    • Appointed: October 9, 1969
    • Presented credentials: December 27, 1969
    • Terminated mission: Left post June 25, 1972
  • W. Beverly Carter, Jr. – Career FSO
    • Appointed: June 27, 1972
    • Presented credentials: July 24, 1972
    • Terminated mission: Left post October 14, 1975
  • James W. Spain – Career FSO
    • Appointed: November 20, 1975
    • Presented credentials: January 8, 1976
    • Terminated mission: Left post August 21, 1979
  • Richard Noyes Viets – Career FSO
    • Appointed: September 28, 1979
    • Presented credentials: October 18, 1979
    • Terminated mission: Left post May 16, 1981
  • David Charles Miller, Jr. – Political appointee
    • Appointed: October 26, 1981
    • Presented credentials: November 4, 1981
    • Terminated mission: Left post February 28, 1984
  • John William Shirley – Career FSO
    • Appointed: June 28, 1984
    • Presented credentials: July 28, 1984
    • Terminated mission: Left post July 18, 1986
  • Donald K. Petterson – Career FSO
    • Appointed: October 16, 1986
    • Presented credentials: December 8, 1986
    • Terminated mission: Left post December 26, 1989
  • Edmund DeJarnette, Jr. – Career FSO
    • Appointed: November 21, 1989
    • Presented credentials: February 26, 1990
    • Terminated mission: Left post September 12, 1992
  • Peter Jon de Vos – Career FSO
    • Appointed: June 15, 1992
    • Presented credentials: January 8, 1993
    • Terminated mission: Left post June 3, 1994
  • J. Brady Anderson – Political appointee
    • Appointed: August 26, 1994
    • Presented credentials: September 13, 1994
    • Terminated mission: Left post October 7, 1997
  • Charles Richard Stith – Political appointee
    • Appointed: June 29, 1998
    • Presented credentials: September 17, 1998
    • Terminated mission: Left post January 20, 2001
  • Robert V. Royall – Political appointee
    • Appointed: November 5, 2001
    • Presented credentials: December 19, 2001
    • Terminated mission: November 21, 2003
  • Note: The post was vacant from November 2003 until August 2005. Michael S. Owen served as chargé d'affaires ad interim during that time.
  • Michael Retzer – Political appointee
    • Appointed: August 24, 2005
    • Presented credentials: March 9, 2005
    • Terminated mission: Left post August 31, 2007
  • Mark Andrew Green – Political appointee
    • Appointed: August 23, 2007
    • Presented credentials: September 13, 2007
    • Terminated mission: Left post January 20, 2009
  • Alfonso E. Lenhardt – Political appointee
    • Appointed: November 12, 2009
    • Presented credentials: November 12, 2009
    • Terminated mission: Left post, October 9, 2013
  • Mark B. Childress – Political appointee
    • Appointed: April 7, 2014
    • Presented credentials: May 22, 2014
    • Terminated mission: Left post October 25, 2016
  • Donald J. Wright – Political appointee
    • Appointed: February 14, 2020
    • Presented credentials: August 2, 2020

See also

Notes
  1. "Previous Ambassadors". U.S. Embassy in Tanzania. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
  2. Leonhart was originally commissioned to Tanganyika. He was recommissioned when Tanganyika became a republic and presented new credentials on December 17, 1962. Leonhart continued to serve without further reaccreditation after the formation of the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar.

References
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