List of ambassadors of the United States to Estonia

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

Ambassador of the United States to Estonia
Seal of the United States Department of State
Incumbent
George P. Kent
since February 21, 2023
NominatorThe President of the United States
AppointerThe President
with Senate advice and consent
Inaugural holderFrederick W.B. Coleman
as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
FormationSeptember 20, 1922
WebsiteU.S. Embassy – Tallinn

The United States has maintained continuous official diplomatic relations with Estonia (as well as Latvia and Lithuania) since 1922, when one ambassador, resident in Riga, Latvia, was appointed to all three nations. Relations with the three nations were broken after the Soviet invasion of the republics in 1940 at the beginning of World War II. The United States never recognized the legitimacy of the Soviet occupation of the three Baltic nations, nor the legitimacy of the governments of those states under Soviet occupation. Hence, diplomatic relations were not resumed until 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The U.S. Embassy in Estonia is located in Tallinn.

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
Frederick W. B. Coleman[1] – Political appointee Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary September 20, 1922 November 20, 1922 Left Riga October 20, 1931 During Coleman’s tenure as nonresident Minister, the Legation in Tallinn was established on June 30, 1930 with Harry E. Carlson as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim.
Robert Peet Skinner[1][2] – Career FSO September 23, 1931 April 2, 1932 Left Riga April 29, 1933
John Van Antwerp MacMurray[1][3] – Career FSO August 28, 1933 January 4, 1934 Left Riga February 12, 1936
Arthur Bliss Lane[1] – Career FSO January 24, 1936 September 10, 1936 Left Riga September 16, 1937
Frederick A. Sterling[4][5] – Career FSO August 9, 1937 — —
John C. Wiley[4] – Career FSO July 18, 1938 November 24, 1938 June 17, 1940 Soviet forces occupied Tallinn and Riga on June 17, 1940, which effectively ended the U.S. diplomatic presence in those nations. The legation in Tallinn was officially closed, September 5, 1940.
The United States announced its readiness to reestablish relations with Estonia on September 2, 1991. Embassy Tallinn was established on October 2, 1991, with Robert C. Frasure as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim. He was subsequently commissioned as ambassador. The embassy was established in the same building on Kentmanni Street that had been the U.S. legation before the World War II.[6]
Robert C. Frasure – Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary March 23, 1992 April 9, 1992 July 8, 1994 The following officers served as chargés d’affaires ad interim: Keith Smith (July–December 1994), and Jon Gundersen (December 1994 – August 1995).
Lawrence P. Taylor – Career FSO June 27, 1995 August 3, 1995 August 7, 1997
Melissa Foelsch Wells – Career FSO October 1, 1998 November 3, 1998 September 10, 2001
Joseph M. DeThomas – Career FSO November 5, 2001 December 11, 2001 July 7, 2004
Aldona Wos[7] – Political appointee August 2, 2004 September 2, 2004 December 17, 2006
Stanley Davis Phillips – Political appointee March 21, 2007 May 31, 2007 January 16, 2009
Karen B. Decker – Career FSO Chargé d'Affaires ad interim January 16, 2009 December 10, 2009
Michael C. Polt – Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary September 25, 2009 December 10, 2009 July 22, 2012
Robert Gilchrist – Career FSO Chargé d'Affaires ad interim July 22, 2012 September 17, 2012
Jeffrey D. Levine – Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary February 17, 2012 September 17, 2012 September 27, 2015
James D. Melville Jr. – Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary May 7, 2015 December 8, 2015 July 29, 2018
Elizabeth Horst – Career FSO Chargé d’Affaires ad interim July 29, 2018 August 2, 2019
Brian Roraff - Career FSO Chargé d’Affaires ad interim August 2, 2019 July 22, 2022
Gabrielle Cowan - Career FSO Chargé d’Affaires ad interim July 22, 2022 February 21, 2023
George P. Kent - Career FSO Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary December 21, 2022 February 21, 2023 Incumbent

See also

Notes
  1. The ambassador was simultaneously accredited to Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, while resident in Riga, Latvia.
  2. Skinner was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on December 17, 1931.
  3. MacMurray was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on January 15, 1934.
  4. The ambassador was simultaneously accredited to Estonia and Latvia, while resident in Riga.
  5. Sterling took the oath of office but did not proceed to post.
  6. Source: U.S. Embassy in Tallinn: History of U.S. Relations with Estonia Archived 2013-01-27 at the Wayback Machine
  7. Wos was commissioned during a recess of the Senate.

References
  • United States Department of State: Background notes on Estonia
  • Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets. United States Department of State.
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