List of ambassadors of the United States to Bulgaria

The United States ambassador to Bulgaria (Bulgarian: Посланик на САЩ в България) is the ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary from the United States to Bulgaria.

Ambassador of the United States to Bulgaria
Seal of the United States Department of State
Incumbent
Kenneth H. Merten
since April 7, 2023
NominatorThe President of the United States
AppointerThe President
with Senate advice and consent
Inaugural holderCharles M. Dickinson
as Agent
FormationApril 24, 1901
WebsiteU.S. Embassy - Sofia

Ambassadors

Diplomatic agent
Name Appointed Presented credentials End of term
Charles M. Dickinson [lower-alpha 1] April 24, 1901 Appointed terminated, June 30, 1903 [lower-alpha 2][1]
John Brinkerhoff Jackson [lower-alpha 3] June 5, 1903 September 19, 1903 Recommissioned to a different combination of countries
John Brinkerhoff Jackson [lower-alpha 4] March 8, 1905 Presented recall, June 4, 1907
Horace G. Knowles [lower-alpha 5][lower-alpha 6] July 1, 1907 August 21, 1907 Left Bucharest, February 4, 1909
Huntington Wilson [lower-alpha 7] December 17, 1908
Spencer F. Eddy [lower-alpha 8] January 11, 1909
John R. Carter [lower-alpha 9] September 25, 1909
  1. Appointed to Bulgaria was in addition to assignment as Consul General at Constantinople, where Dickinson resided. No record has been found of Presented credentials at Sofia. Commissioned during a recess of the Senate.
  2. Dickinson became persona non grata after some very strong representations in Fall 1901 and was recommissioned after confirmation on December 10, 1901
  3. Commissioned as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Greece, Romania, and Serbia and Diplomatic Agent in Bulgaria; resident at Athens. Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on November 16, 1903.
  4. Commissioned as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Greece and Montenegro and Diplomatic Agent in Bulgaria; resident at Athens.
  5. Commissioned as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Romania and Serbia and Diplomatic Agent in Bulgaria; resident at Bucharest.
  6. Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on December 12, 1907.
  7. Commissioned as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Romania and Serbia and Diplomatic Agent in Bulgaria; took oath of office, but did not proceed to post.
  8. Commissioned as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Romania and Diplomatic Agent in Bulgaria; served at Bucharest, but did not present credentials in Bulgaria.
  9. Commissioned during a recess of the Senate as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Romania and Serbia and Diplomatic Agent in Bulgaria; served at Bucharest, but did not present credentials in Bulgaria. Recommissioned after confirmation on December 13, 1909.

Envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary
Name Career Appointed Presented credentials End of term
John R. Carter [lower-alpha 1] June 24, 1910
John Brinkerhoff Jackson August 12, 1911 February 1, 1912 Presented recall, October 18, 1913
Charles J. Vopicka [lower-alpha 2] Non-career appointee September 11, 1913 December 26, 1913 Relieved of active functions pertaining to Legation Sofia, December 17, 1918
Charles S. Wilson Foreign Service officer October 8, 1921 December 5, 1921 Presented recall, October 4, 1928
H. F. Arthur Schoenfeld [lower-alpha 3] Foreign Service officer July 17, 1928
Henry Wharton Shoemaker Non-career appointee January 22, 1930 March 28, 1930 Left post, August 2, 1933
Frederick A. Sterling [lower-alpha 4] Foreign Service officer September 1, 1933 April 3, 1934 Left post, June 30, 1936
Ray Atherton Foreign Service officer July 13, 1937 October 21, 1937 Left post, July 5, 1939
George H. Earle III [lower-alpha 5] Non-career appointee February 14, 1940 April 2, 1940 Bulgaria declared war on the U.S. on the 13 December 1941
Donald R. Heath [lower-alpha 6] Foreign Service officer September 30, 1947 November 8, 1947 Declared persona non grata by Government of Bulgaria, January 19, 1950
Edward Page, Jr.[lower-alpha 7] Foreign Service officer November 23, 1959 March 14, 1960 Left post, May 25, 1962
Eugenie Anderson Non-career appointee May 28, 1962 August 3, 1962 Left post, December 6, 1964
Nathaniel Davis Foreign Service officer May 6, 1965 June 4, 1965 Left post, May 20, 1966
John M. McSweeney Foreign Service officer September 16, 1966 October 26, 1966 Promoted to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
  1. Commissioned as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Romania, Serbia, and Bulgaria; resident at Bucharest.
  2. Commissioned as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Romania, Serbia, and Bulgaria; resident at Bucharest. Charles S. Wilson presented credentials March 18, 1919, as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim at Sofia and served as such until July 1921.
  3. Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on January 23, 1929; did not serve under either Appointed.
  4. Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on January 15, 1934.
  5. Earle left post late in Dec. 1941, arriving at Istanbul (en route to the U.S.) December 27, 1941. Legation Sofia was reestablished September 27, 1947, with John Evarts Horner as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim.
  6. Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on December 9, 1947. The Department of State announced on February 21, 1950, the suspension of diplomatic relations with Bulgaria; Heath left post, February 24, 1950.
  7. Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on January 21, 1960.

Ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary
Name Career Appointed Presented credentials End of term
John M. McSweeney [lower-alpha 1] Foreign Service officer April 5, 1967 April 19, 1967 Left post, May 29, 1970
Horace G. Torbert, Jr. Foreign Service officer October 6, 1970 November 4, 1970 Left post, January 23, 1973
Martin F. Herz Foreign Service officer February 28, 1974 April 3, 1974 Left post, August 6, 1977
Raymond L. Garthoff Foreign Service officer July 29, 1977 September 16, 1977 Left post, October 9, 1979
Jack Richard Perry Foreign Service officer September 20, 1979 October 17, 1979 Left post, September 27, 1981
Robert L. Barry Foreign Service officer November 25, 1981 December 8, 1981 July 12, 1984
Melvyn Levitsky Foreign Service officer September 21, 1984 November 13, 1984 Left post, February 6, 1987
Sol Polansky Foreign Service officer June 15, 1987 September 4, 1987 Left post, August 17, 1990
Hugh Kenneth Hill Foreign Service officer August 6, 1990 September 18, 1990 Left post, September 5, 1993
William Dale Montgomery Foreign Service officer October 8, 1993 October 27, 1993 Left post, January 17, 1996
Avis T. Bohlen Foreign Service officer July 2, 1996 September 5, 1996 Left post August 13, 1999
Richard Monroe Miles Foreign Service officer August 9, 1999 September 8, 1999 Left post February 28, 2002
James W. Pardew Foreign Service officer April 1, 2002 May 13, 2002 Left post, July 30, 2005
John Beyrle Foreign Service officer July 9, 2005 September 8, 2005 April 28, 2008
Nancy McEldowney Career foreign service officer May 2, 2008 August 26, 2008 July 30, 2009
James B. Warlick, Jr. Career foreign service officer December 24, 2009 January 19, 2010 September 14, 2012
Marcie Berman Ries Career foreign service officer May 24, 2012 October 1, 2012 July 28, 2015
Eric S. Rubin[2] Career foreign service officer December 9, 2015 January 27, 2016 July 9, 2019
Herro Mustafa Career foreign service officer September 29, 2019 October 18, 2019 February 14, 2023[3]
Kenneth H. Merten Career foreign service officer December 13, 2022 April 7, 2023 Incumbent
  1. Legation Sofia had been raised to Embassy status November 28, 1966 with Minister McSweeney in charge pending his own promotion to the rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.

References
  1. "Bulgaria Shows Resentment.; United States Diplomatic Agent's Activity in Stone Case Causes His Recall". The New York Times. March 30, 1902. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  2. Ambassador Rubin U.S. Embassy, Bulgaria, accessed May 6, 2016
  3. "Bulgaria bid farewell to ambassador Mustafa". mailchi.mp. February 14, 2023.

See also

References
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