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
Michael Battle
since February 27, 2023
NominatorPresident of the United States
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

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
William Leonhart – Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary August 22, 1962 October 3, 1962 December 22, 1965 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
John H. Burns – Career FSO September 24, 1965 January 3, 1966 June 22, 1969
Claude G. Ross – Career FSO October 9, 1969 December 27, 1969 June 25, 1972
W. Beverly Carter, Jr. – Career FSO June 27, 1972 July 24, 1972 October 14, 1975
James W. Spain – Career FSO November 20, 1975 January 8, 1976 August 21, 1979
Richard Noyes Viets – Career FSO September 28, 1979 October 18, 1979 May 16, 1981
David Charles Miller, Jr. – Political appointee October 26, 1981 November 4, 1981 February 28, 1984
John William Shirley – Career FSO June 28, 1984 July 28, 1984 July 18, 1986
Donald K. Petterson – Career FSO October 16, 1986 December 8, 1986 December 26, 1989
Edmund DeJarnette, Jr. – Career FSO November 21, 1989 February 26, 1990 September 12, 1992
Peter Jon de Vos – Career FSO June 15, 1992 January 8, 1993 June 3, 1994
J. Brady Anderson – Political appointee August 26, 1994 September 13, 1994 October 7, 1997
Charles Richard Stith – Political appointee June 29, 1998 September 17, 1998 January 20, 2001
Robert V. Royall – Political appointee November 5, 2001 December 19, 2001 November 21, 2003 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 August 24, 2005 March 9, 2005 August 31, 2007
Mark Andrew Green – Political appointee August 23, 2007 September 13, 2007 January 20, 2009
Alfonso E. Lenhardt – Political appointee November 12, 2009 November 12, 2009 October 9, 2013
Mark B. Childress – Political appointee April 7, 2014 May 22, 2014 October 25, 2016
Donald J. Wright – Political appointee February 14, 2020 August 2, 2020 January 11, 2023
Michael Battle - Political appointee December 13, 2022 February 27, 2023 Incumbent

See also

Notes
  1. "Previous Ambassadors". U.S. Embassy in Tanzania. Retrieved July 25, 2018.

References
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