List of ambassadors of the United States to Benin

The Kingdom of Dahomey was an overseas possession of France—part of French West Africa—until 1958. In that year Dahomey became an autonomous republic, and gained full independence in 1960. The United States immediately recognized Dahomey and began the process of initiating diplomatic relations. A U.S. Embassy at Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire (then named Ivory Coast) was established with Donald L. Norland as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim. The embassy was also accredited also to Dahomey, Niger, and Upper Volta (now named Burkina Faso) while resident at Abidjan. On July 31, 1960, Chargé Norland presented his credentials to the government of Dahomey, to take effect on August 1, 1960. On October 14, 1960, R. Borden Reams was appointed as the ambassador and presented his credentials on November 26, 1960.

Ambassador of the United States to Benin
Ambassadeur des Etats-Unis au Bénin
Seal of the United States Department of State
Incumbent
Brian W. Shukan
since May 5, 2022
NominatorThe President of the United States
AppointerThe President
with Senate advice and consent
Inaugural holderR. Borden Reams
as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
FormationOctober 14, 1960
WebsiteU.S. Embassy - Cotonou

On February 15, 1961, the Embassy in Cotonou, Dahomey, was established with Converse Hettinger as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim. Ambassador Reams remained resident in Abidjan.

In 1961 Robinson McIlvaine was appointed as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary with a separate commission solely to Dahomey. He presented his credentials to the government of Dahomey on June 22, 1961.

The Republic of Dahomey changed its name to Republic of Benin in 1975.

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
R. Borden Reams[1][2][3] – Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary October 14, 1960 November 26, 1960 Superseded, July 31, 1961
Robinson McIlvaine – Career FSO June 22, 1961 July 31, 1961 March 19, 1964
Clinton E. Knox – Career FSO July 9, 1964 August 18, 1964 June 11, 1969
Matthew J. Looram, Jr. – Career FSO May 27, 1969 July 21, 1969 December 3, 1971
Robert Anderson[4] – Career FSO February 15, 1972 March 25, 1972 April 11, 1974
James B. Engle – Career FSO July 23, 1974 November 26, 1974 February 15, 1976
W. Kenneth Thompson Chargé d’Affaires ad interim - August 1976 August 1978
John S. Davidson - September 1978 May 1980
James R. Bullington - June 1980 July 1982
Charles H. Twining, Jr. - July 1982 October 1983
George E. Moose – Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary October 7, 1983 November 4, 1983 July 7, 1986
Walter Edward Stadtler – Career FSO October 16, 1986 November 19, 1986 December 3, 1989
Harriet Winsar Isom – Career FSO November 21, 1989 January 26, 1990 November 14, 1992
Ruth A. Davis – Career FSO August 17, 1992 December 24, 1992 November 3, 1995
John M. Yates – Career FSO November 3, 1995 November 24, 1995 October 27, 1998
Robert C. Felder – Career FSO October 22, 1998 November 20, 1998 June 10, 2000
Pamela E. Bridgewater – Career FSO September 15, 2000 November 24, 2000 December 10, 2002
Wayne E. Neill – Career FSO April 16, 2003 July 4, 2003 July 22, 2006
Gayleatha B. Brown – Career FSO July 5, 2006 September 8, 2006 August 22, 2009
James Knight – Career FSO August 7, 2009 November 3, 2009 April 28, 2012
Michael A. Raynor – Career FSO May 5, 2012 September 13, 2012 May 29, 2015
Lucy Tamlyn – Career FSO October 13, 2015 November 8, 2015 October 19, 2018
Patricia Mahoney – Career FSO January 7, 2019 July 4, 2019 February 1, 2022
Brian W. Shukan – Career FSO December 18, 2021 May 5, 2022 Incumbent

See also

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets. United States Department of State.

Notes
  1. Reams was accredited to Ivory Coast, Niger, Upper Volta, and Dahomey—resident at Abidjan
  2. Superseded by a separate commission to Dahomey July 31, 1961.
  3. Reams was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on February 6, 1961.
  4. An earlier nomination of December 2, 1971, was not acted upon by the Senate.
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