List of ambassadors of the United States to Switzerland and Liechtenstein

This is a list of United States ambassadors to the Swiss Confederation and the Principality of Liechtenstein.[1]

Ambassador of the United States to Switzerland and Liechtenstein
Seal of the United States Department of State
Incumbent
Scott Miller
since January 11, 2022
NominatorThe President of the United States
AppointerThe President
with Senate advice and consent
Inaugural holderTheodore Sedgwick Fay
as Minister Resident
FormationMarch 16, 1853
WebsiteU.S. Embassy - Bern

History

Since 1997, the U.S. ambassador to Switzerland has also been accredited to the Principality of Liechtenstein. Appointed on February 10, 1997, Ambassador Madeleine M. Kunin served as the first United States Ambassador to Liechtenstein.[2] She presented her credentials to Liechtenstein on March 14, 1997, which marked the beginning of the United States' diplomatic relations with the country.[3]

Although the United States executed its first treaty with Liechtenstein in 1926, at the time, and until 1997, Liechtenstein was represented diplomatically by Switzerland.[4]

Before 1997 it was understood that the rights of a U.S.–Swiss agreement also extended to citizens of Liechtenstein because it had yielded control of its foreign affairs to Switzerland. At the end of the 20th century, however, it "began pursuing independent membership in international organizations".[4]

Political appointees
The Embassy of the United States on Sulgeneckstrasse 193 in Bern, Switzerland (2010).
The Embassy of the United States on Sulgeneckstrasse 193 in Bern, Switzerland (2010).

U.S. ambassadors are nominated by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate.[5] The position of ambassador to Switzerland is generally held by a political appointee rather than a career Foreign Service Officer (FSO). According to the American Foreign Service Association, only two career FSOs since 1960 have been appointed to the Swiss and Liechtenstein ambassadorship (both times were in the 1970s), whereas the remaining twenty ambassadors were political appointees, typically those known as "campaign bundlers" who raise large sums of money for presidential campaigns.[6]

List of ambassadors
NameBackgroundTitleAppointmentPresentation of credentialsTermination of mission
Theodore Sedgwick Fay Foreign Service officer Minister Resident March 16, 1853 June 29, 1853 Presented recall, July 1, 1861
George G. Fogg Non-career appointee Minister Resident March 28, 1861 July 1, 1861 Presented recall, October 16, 1865
George Harrington Non-career appointee Minister Resident July 7, 1865 October 16, 1865 Presented recall, July 20, 1869
Horace Rublee Non-career appointee Minister Resident April 20, 1869 July 20, 1869 Presented recall, September 7, 1876
Horace Rublee Non-career appointee Chargé d'affaires August 15, 1876 September 7, 1876 Left post October 1, 1876
George Schneider Non-career appointee Chargé d'affaires May 1, 1877
Nicholas Fish II Foreign Service officer Chargé d'affaires Jun 20, 1877 August 7, 1877 Presented recall, August 24, 1881
Michael J. Cramer Non-career appointee Chargé d'affaires May 11, 1881 Aug 25, 1881 Promoted to Minister Resident/Consul General
Michael J. Cramer Non-career appointee Minister Resident/Consul General Jul 13, 1882 Aug 14, 1882 Presented recall, Jul 9, 1885
Boyd Winchester Non-career appointee Minister Resident/Consul General May 7, 1885 Jul 9, 1885 Presented recall, May 24, 1889
John D. Washburn Non-career appointee Minister Resident/Consul General Mar 12, 1889 May 24, 1889 Promoted to Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
John D. Washburn Non-career appointee Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Jul 30, 1890 Dec 13, 1890 Left post Aug 10, 1892
Person Colby Cheney Non-career appointee Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Dec 13, 1892 Jan 26, 1893 Presented recall, Jan 29, 1893
James Broadhead Non-career appointee Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Apr 7, 1893 Jul 5, 1893 Appointment terminated, Nov 1, 1895
John L. Peak Non-career appointee Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Nov 18, 1895 Feb 15, 1896 Presented recall, Aug 9, 1897
John George Alexander Leishman Non-career appointee Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Jun 9, 1897 Aug 9, 1897 Presented recall, Feb 20, 1901
Arthur Sherburne Hardy Non-career appointee Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Dec 20, 1900 Apr 3, 1901 Presented recall, Jan 29, 1903
Charles Page Bryan Foreign Service officer Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Sep 26, 1902
Charles Page Bryan Foreign Service officer Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Dec 8, 1902
David Jayne Hill Foreign Service officer Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Jan 7, 1903 Feb 24, 1903 Presented recall, Jul 1, 1905
Brutus J. Clay II Foreign Service officer Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Mar 8, 1905 Jul 1, 1905 Superseded, Mar 1, 1910
Laurits S. Swenson Foreign Service officer Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Dec 21, 1909 Mar 1, 1910 Presented recall, May 15, 1911
Henry Sherman Boutell Non-career appointee Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Apr 24, 1911 May 23, 1911 Presented recall, Jul 31, 1913
Pleasant A. Stovall Non-career appointee Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Jun 21, 1913 Aug 23, 1913 Left post Dec 14, 1919
Hampson Gary Non-career appointee Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Apr 7, 1920 Jun 3, 1920 Left post about Mar 4, 1921
Joseph Grew Foreign Service Officer Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Sep 24, 1921 Nov 1, 1921 Left post Mar 22, 1924
Hugh S. Gibson Foreign Service officer Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Mar 18, 1924 May 19, 1924 Presented recall, Apr 29, 1927
Hugh R. Wilson Foreign Service officer Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Feb 26, 1927 Jun 11, 1927 Left post Jul 8, 1937
Leland B. Harrison Foreign Service officer Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Jul 13, 1937 Sep 10, 1937 Left post Oct 14, 1947
John Carter Vincent Foreign Service officer Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Jul 24, 1947 Oct 21, 1947 Left post Jun 9, 1951
Richard Cunningham Patterson Jr. Non-career appointee Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Mar 22, 1951 Jun 27, 1951 Left post Apr 14, 1953
Frances E. Willis Foreign Service officer Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Jul 20, 1953 Oct 9, 1953 Left post May 5, 1957
Henry J. Taylor Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary May 9, 1957 May 31, 1957 Left post Feb 28, 1961
Robert M. McKinney Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Jun 22, 1961 Jul 25, 1961 Left post Sep 8, 1963
W. True Davis Jr. Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Oct 2, 1963 Nov 29, 1963 Left post Sep 3, 1965
John S. Hayes Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Sep 19, 1966 Nov 18, 1966 Left post May 20, 1969
Shelby Cullom Davis Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary May 13, 1969 Jul 17, 1969 Left post Apr 10, 1975
Peter H. Dominick Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Feb 20, 1975 Apr 25, 1975 Left post Jul 10, 1975
Nathaniel Davis Foreign Service officer Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Nov 20, 1975 Jan 9, 1976 Left post Jul 31, 1977
Marvin L. Warner Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Jul 11, 1977 Sep 13, 1977 Left post Jul 10, 1979
Richard David Vine Foreign Service officer Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Sep 20, 1979 Oct 19, 1979 Left post Sep 1, 1981
Faith Whittlesey Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Sep 28, 1981 Oct 23, 1981 Left post Feb 28, 1983
John Davis Lodge Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Mar 18, 1983 May 19, 1983 Left post Apr 30, 1985
Faith Whittlesey Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Apr 4, 1985 May 31, 1985 Left post Jun 14, 1988
Philip D. Winn Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Jul 11, 1988 Aug 19, 1988 Left post Aug 5, 1989
Joseph Bernard Gildenhorn Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Aug 3, 1989 Aug 23, 1989 Left post Mar 1, 1993
The following officers served as Chargés d'affaires ad interim (1993–94): John E. Hall (Mar–Aug 1993), Brian M. Flora (Aug–Dec 1993), Michael C. Polt (Dec 1993–Mar 1994), and Jeffrey R. Cellars (July 22, 2013 - June 2, 2014)
M. Larry Lawrence Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Feb 9, 1994 Mar 21, 1994 Died at post Jan 9, 1996
Madeleine M. Kunin Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Aug 8, 1996 Aug 19, 1996 Left post Aug 16, 1999
J. Richard Fredericks Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Oct 29, 1999 Dec 2, 1999 Left post Jul 6, 2001
Mercer Reynolds Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Aug 3, 2001 Sep 11, 2001 Left post Mar 29, 2003
Pamela Willeford Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Oct 7, 2003 Nov 25, 2003 Left post May 6, 2006
Peter R. Coneway Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Sept 6, 2006 Oct 19, 2006 Dec 7, 2008
Donald S. Beyer Jr. Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary August 5, 2009 August 15, 2009 May 29, 2013
Suzan G. LeVine Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary June 2, 2014 July 1, 2014 January 20, 2017[7]
Ed McMullen Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary November 2, 2017 November 21, 2017 January 17, 2021
Scott Miller Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary December 18, 2021 January 11, 2022

Recess appointments

The following were commissioned during a Senate recess and thus were recommissioned after their post-recess confirmations.

  • George Harrington (confirmed January 22, 1866)
  • Nicholas Fish II (confirmed October 30, 1877)
  • Boyd Winchester (confirmed January 21, 1866)
  • John L. Peak (confirmed December 21, 1866)
  • Charles Page Bryan (twice commissioned during recess but did not serve under either)

Other cases

Theodore Sedgwick Fay was nominated to be Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary on February 25, 1856, but his nomination was withdrawn before the Senate acted on it. George Schneider was commissioned during a Senate recess and he took the oath of office but did not proceed to post.

See also

References
  1. "History: The U.S. Ambassadors in Switzerland". Embassy of the United States Bern, Switzerland. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
  2. "Kunin To Add Liechtenstein to Diplomatic Portfolio". Associated Press News. January 14, 1997.
  3. "Madeleine May Kunin (1933–)". U.S. State Department Office of the Historian. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
  4. "A Guide to the United States' History of Recognition, Diplomatic, and Consular Relations, by Country, Since 1776: Liechtenstein". U.S. Department of State Office of the Historian. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
  5. United States U.S. Senate – Powers & Procedure Senate.gov Retrieved May 25, 2012.
  6. Brunner, Jim (February 6, 2014). "Obama fundraiser Suzi LeVine nominated as envoy to Switzerland". The Seattle Times.
  7. "US ambassador to leave on presidential inauguration day". November 22, 2016.

Bibliography
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