List of ambassadors of the United States to Finland

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

Ambassador of the United States to Finland
Seal of the United States Department of State
Incumbent
Doug Hickey
since May 11, 2022
NominatorThe President of the United States
AppointerThe President
with Senate advice and consent
Inaugural holderAlexander R. Magruder
as Chargé d'Affaires
FormationMarch 19, 1920
Websitefi.usembassy.gov

Until 1917 Finland had been a subject of Russia as the Grand Duchy of Finland. As a result of the Bolshevist October Revolution in Russia, Finland declared its independence on December 6, 1917. On December 22 (January 4, 1918 N. S.), the highest Soviet executive body approved a decree recognizing Finland’s independence.

The United States recognized Finland as an independent state on May 7, 1919.[1][2] A U.S. legation was established in Helsinki and the first envoy, Alexander R. Magruder, presented his credentials as Chargé d'Affaires to the government of Finland on March 19, 1920. United States–Finland relations have been continuous since that time except for a brief period in 1944–45 when the U.S. severed relations during World War II.

The U.S. Embassy in Finland is located in Helsinki in the Kaivopuisto neighborhood.

Ambassadors

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".
Ambassador John D. Hickerson with president Juho Kusti Paasikivi (left) and foreign minister Johannes Virolainen (right) in 1955
Image Name Title Appointed Presented credentials Terminated mission Notes
Alexander R. Magruder – Career FSO Chargé d'Affaires March 19, 1920[3] February 17, 1922
Charles L. Kagey – Political appointee Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary October 8, 1921 February 17, 1922 March 24, 1925
Alfred J. Pearson[4] – Political appointee June 23, 1925 September 5, 1925 April 30, 1930
Edward E. Brodie – Political appointee January 31, 1930 May 16, 1930 September 21, 1933
Edward Albright[5] – Political appointee July 21, 1933 October 5, 1933 April 12, 1937
H. F. Arthur Schoenfeld – Career FSO April 22, 1937 July 2, 1937 December 17, 1942
The United States severed diplomatic relations with Finland on June 30, 1944, as result of Finland’s war against the Soviet Union. At that time the Soviet Union was an ally of the United States. Edmund A. Gullion was serving as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim when the relations were severed. The United States reestablished diplomatic relations with Finland after World War II. The legation in Helsinki was reestablished September 1, 1945, with Benjamin M. Hulley as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim.
Maxwell M. Hamilton – Career FSO Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary September 25, 1945 March 26, 1946 August 25, 1947
Avra M. Warren – Career FSO December 18, 1947 February 10, 1948 February 18, 1950
John M. Cabot – Career FSO February 2, 1950 February 27, 1950 September 20, 1952
Jack K. McFall[6] – Career FSO September 10, 1952 November 15, 1952 September 19, 1955 The legation in Helsinki was raised to embassy status on September 10, 1954. Concurrently the post of Minister became that of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.
John D. Hickerson[7] – Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary October 4, 1955 November 23, 1955 November 3, 1959
Edson O. Sessions[8] – Political appointee October 20, 1959 November 28, 1959 November 20, 1960
Bernard Gufler – Career FSO February 24, 1961 April 14, 1961 April 18, 1963
Carl T. Rowan – Political appointee March 9, 1963 May 21, 1963 February 8, 1964
Tyler Thompson – Career FSO July 31, 1964 August 25, 1964 June 14, 1969
Val Peterson – Political appointee May 1, 1969 July 14, 1969 March 23, 1973
V. John Krehbiel – Political appointee March 27, 1973 June 1, 1973 February 24, 1975
Mark Evans Austad – Political appointee February 20, 1975 March 20, 1975 April 14, 1977
Rozanne L. Ridgway – Career FSO May 26, 1977 August 5, 1977 February 20, 1980
James E. Goodby – Career FSO March 18, 1980 April 11, 1980 August 18, 1981
Keith Foote Nyborg – Political appointee July 30, 1981 September 18, 1981 February 17, 1986
Rockwell A. Schnabel – Political appointee December 17, 1985 February 28, 1986 February 24, 1989
John Giffen Weinmann – Political appointee October 10, 1989 November 10, 1989 August 29, 1991
John Hubert Kelly – Career FSO December 2, 1991 December 20, 1991 July 5, 1994
Derek Shearer – Political appointee May 29, 1994 July 1, 1994 October 31, 1997
Eric S. Edelman – Career FSO June 29, 1998 August 27, 1998 January 29, 2001
Bonnie McElveen-Hunter – Political appointee November 5, 2001 December 5, 2001 December 15, 2003
Earle I. Mack – Political appointee May 25, 2004 June 10, 2004 October 20, 2005
Marilyn Ware – Political appointee February 7, 2006 March 9, 2006 March 28, 2008
Barbara Barrett – Political appointee April 20, 2008 May 23, 2008 January 16, 2009
Michael Butler[9] Chargé d'Affaires January 16, 2009 N/A August 12, 2009
Bruce J. Oreck – Political appointee[10] Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary August 12, 2009 September 10, 2009 July 25, 2015
Charles C. Adams Jr. – Political appointee June 24, 2015 August 4, 2015 January 20, 2017
Robert Pence – Political appointee March 22, 2018 May 24, 2018 January 14, 2021
Ian Campbell Chargé d'Affaires January 14, 2021 N/A May 11, 2022
Doug Hickey – Political appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary March 24, 2022 May 11, 2022 Incumbent
Tyler Thompson arrives in Finland in August 1964.

Notes
  1. "We Recognize Finland (clipping from The NY Times)" (PDF). The New York Times. May 8, 1919. Retrieved January 24, 2009.
  2. Country-Studies.com
  3. Magruder was the chargé d’affaires rather than the ambassador, and thus was not commissioned. His letter of credence was dated March 13, 1920.
  4. Pearson was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on December 17, 1925.
  5. Albright was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on January 15, 1934.
  6. McFall was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on May 1, 1953.
  7. Hickerson was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on January 25, 1956.
  8. Sessions was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on January 21, 1960.
  9. "Ambassador". Archived from the original on June 8, 2008.
  10. "Ambassador". Archived from the original on September 3, 2009.

See also

References
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