List of ambassadors of the United States to Gabon

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

Ambassador of the United States to Gabon
Seal of the United States Department of State
Incumbent
Ellen B. Thorburn
Chargé d'Affaires a.i.
since October 27, 2022
NominatorThe President of the United States
AppointerThe President
with Senate advice and consent
Inaugural holderW. Wendell Blancke
as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
FormationDecember 12, 1960
WebsiteU.S. Embassy - Libreville

Gabon had been an overseas territory of France since 1910. At that time it became part of French Equatorial Africa, which included Middle Congo (now Republic of the Congo), Chad, and Oubangui-Chari (now Central African Republic). Gabon achieved its independence as the Gabonese Republic on August 17, 1960.

The United States immediately recognized the new Gabonese Republic and moved to establish diplomatic relations. The new U.S. embassy in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo, had been established two days earlier on August 15. The current resident in Brazzaville, Alan W. Lukens, was commissioned also to Gabon and presented his credentials to the government on August 17. W. Wendell Blancke was appointed as the first ambassador on December 12, 1960. He served concurrently as the ambassador to Gabon, Central African Republic, Chad, and the Republic of the Congo while resident in Brazzaville.

During Blanke’s tenure as non-resident ambassador, the embassy in Libreville was established March 20, 1961, with Walker A. Diamanti as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim. In September 1961 the first ambassador was appointed solely for Gabon. In 1975 the ambassador to Gabon was also accredited to the newly independent nation of São Tomé and Príncipe.

The U.S. Embassy in Gabon is located in Libreville.

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".
Name Title Appointed Presented credentials Terminated mission Notes
W. Wendell Blancke – Career FSO[1][2] Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary December 12, 1960 January 13, 1961 Superseded, October 10, 1961
Charles F. Darlington – Political appointee[3] September 20, 1961 October 18, 1961 July 26, 1964
David M. Bane – Career FSO July 22, 1965 August 14, 1965 June 29, 1969
Richard Funkhouser – Career FSO June 13, 1969 August 9, 1969 August 2, 1970
John A. McKesson, III – Career FSO December 10, 1970 February 4, 1971 June 1, 1975
Andrew L. Steigman – Career FSO June 10, 1975 August 9, 1975 August 21, 1977 São Tomé and Príncipe achieved independence on July 12, 1975. The U.S. ambassador to Gabon and subsequent ambassadors were concurrently commissioned to São Tomé and Príncipe while resident in Libreville.
Arthur T. Tienken – Career FSO February 3, 1978 March 6, 1978 July 19, 1981
Francis Terry McNamara – Career FSO December 11, 1981 January 19, 1982 August 3, 1984
Larry C. Williamson – Career FSO August 13, 1984 November 20, 1984 August 21, 1987
Warren Clark Jr. – Career FSO August 10, 1987 September 19, 1987 August 24, 1989
Keith Leveret Wauchope – Career FSO November 6, 1989 December 8, 1989 July 13, 1992
Joseph Charles Wilson IV – Career FSO July 14, 1992 September 17, 1992 August 5, 1995
Elizabeth Raspolic – Career FSO October 3, 1995 November 29, 1995 July 24, 1998
James V. Ledesma – Career FSO October 22, 1998 December 16, 1998 June 18, 2001
Thomas F. Daughton Chargé d’Affaires a.i. June 18, 2001 Unknown June 20, 2002
Kenneth Price Moorfield – Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary January 30, 2002 June 20, 2002 July 18, 2004
R. Barrie Walkley – Career FSO July 2, 2004 November 12, 2004 April 27, 2007
Eunice S. Reddick – Career FSO November 9, 2007 December 6, 2007 July 18, 2010
Eric D. Benjaminson – Career FSO September 15, 2010 December 3, 2010 May 21, 2013
Cynthia Akuetteh – Career FSO August 1, 2014 December 26, 2014 February 26, 2018
Joel Danies – Career FSO February 21, 2018 April 18, 2018 March 1, 2019
Robert E. Whitehead – Career FSO Chargé d’Affaires a.i. March 1, 2019 August 17, 2020[4]
Samuel R. Watson[5] August 17, 2020 September 28, 2020 October 27, 2022
Ellen B. Thorburn October 27, 2022 Incumbent

Notes
  1. Blancke was also accredited to the Central African Republic, Chad, and Republic of the Congo while resident at Brazzaville.
  2. Blancke was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on February 6, 1961.
  3. Darlington the first ambassador appointed solely to Gabon and resident in Libreville.
  4. "Gabon - Chiefs of Mission - People - Department History - Office of the Historian". history.state.gov. Retrieved 2021-12-12.
  5. "Samuel Robert Watson III - People - Department History - Office of the Historian". history.state.gov. Retrieved 2021-12-12.

See also

References
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