The Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of African Affairs is the head of the Bureau of African Affairs

Bureau of African Affairs

In the United States Government, the Bureau of African Affairs is part of the U.S. Department of State and is charged with advising the Secretary of State on matters of Sub-Saharan Africa. The bureau was established in 1958...

 within the American Department of State, who guides operation of the U.S. diplomatic establishment in the countries of sub-Saharan Africa and advises the Secretary of State

United States Secretary of State

The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...

 and the Under Secretary for Political Affairs

Under Secretary for Political Affairs

The Under Secretary for Political Affairs is the third ranking position in the United States Department of State, after the Secretary and the Deputy Secretaries...

.

The current secretary is Johnnie Carson

Johnnie Carson (diplomat)

Johnnie Carson is a career diplomat from the United States who has served as United States Ambassador to several African nations. In 2009 he was nominated to become U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs by President Barack Obama.-Biography:Carson was born April 7, 1943, in...

. Previous Assistant Secretaries since the position's creation, by recency, are Jendayi E. Frazer, Constance Berry Newman

Constance Berry Newman

Constance Ernestine Berry Newman was the United States Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs from June 2004 to April 2005.-Early life:...

, Walter H. Kansteiner, III

Walter H. Kansteiner, III

Walter H. Kansteiner, III was the United States Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs from June 2001 until November 2003.- Career :...

, Susan E. Rice

Susan E. Rice

Susan Elizabeth Rice is an American diplomat, former think tank fellow, and civil servant. She is an American foreign policy advisor and United States Ambassador to the United Nations. Rice served on the staff of the National Security Council and as Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs...

, George Moose

George Moose

George Edward Moose is an American diplomat who served as Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Ambassador to the UN agencies in Geneva, and as Ambassador to the Republics of Benin and Senegal...

, Herman Jay Cohen

Herman Jay Cohen

Herman Jay "Hank" Cohen served as the United States Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs from 1989 to 1993. His lobbying firm, Cohen and Woods International, has represented the governments of Angola and Zimbabwe...

, Chester A. Crocker, Richard M. Moose

Richard M. Moose

Richard M. Moose begin work as a Foreign Service Officer in 1956, with stints in Mexico and Cameroun. He worked on the National Security Council as staff secretary until 1970. He then worked on the staff of J. William Fulbright's Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was appointed by President...

, William E. Schaufele, Jr.

William E. Schaufele, Jr.

William E. Schaufele, Jr. was an American diplomat and official at the United States Department of State.-Life:...

, Nathaniel Davis

Nathaniel Davis

Nathaniel Davis A well known career diplomat who served in the United States Foreign Service and the Peace Corps for 36 years. His final years were spent teaching.-Early years:...

, Donald B. Easum

Donald B. Easum

Donald Boyd Easum spent 27 years in the United States Foreign Service at posts in Nicaragua, Indonesia, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Niger, Upper Volta and Nigeria...

, David D. Newsom

David D. Newsom

David Dunlop Newsom was the United States Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs from 1969 until 1974. Also, he was the United States Ambassador to the Philippines from 1977 to 1978....

, Joseph Palmer II

Joseph Palmer II

Joseph Palmer II was an American diplomat and State Department official whose career focused on U.S. relations with Africa....

, G. Mennen Williams

G. Mennen Williams

Gerhard Mennen "Soapy" Williams, , was a politician from the US state of Michigan. An heir to a personal grooming products fortune, he was known as "Soapy," and wore a trademark green bow tie with white polka dots....

, and Joseph C. Satterthwaite

Joseph C. Satterthwaite

Joseph Charles Satterthwaite of Michigan was a career diplomat who served as United States Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Head of the U.S. Legation at Tangier from 1953 to 1955, and as United States Ambassador to Burma from April 1955 to April 1957. He then served as the first Assistant Secretary of...

.

On July 18, 1958, Congress authorized an eleventh Assistant Secretary of State, enabling the Department of State to create a bureau to deal with relations with the newly independent nations of Africa. At first, when the Department of State established three geographical divisions in 1909, African affairs were the responsibility of the Divisions of Near Eastern and Western European Affairs. Department Order No. 692 of June 15, 1937 transferred responsibility for all African territories except Algeria

Algeria

Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...

 and the Union of South Africa

Union of South Africa

The Union of South Africa is the historic predecessor to the present-day Republic of South Africa. It came into being on 31 May 1910 with the unification of the previously separate colonies of the Cape, Natal, Transvaal and the Orange Free State...

 to the Division of Near Eastern Affairs. A Division of African Affairs was created in the office of Near Eastern Affairs in January 1944. When the Bureau of Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs was created, there continued to be a Division of African Affairs within that bureau.

List of Assistant Secretaries of State for African Affairs

Name	Assumed Office	Left Office	President President of the United States The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....  served under
Joseph C. Satterthwaite Joseph C. Satterthwaite Joseph Charles Satterthwaite of Michigan was a career diplomat who served as United States Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Head of the U.S. Legation at Tangier from 1953 to 1955, and as United States Ambassador to Burma from April 1955 to April 1957. He then served as the first Assistant Secretary of...	September 2, 1958	January 31, 1961	Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
G. Mennen Williams G. Mennen Williams Gerhard Mennen "Soapy" Williams, , was a politician from the US state of Michigan. An heir to a personal grooming products fortune, he was known as "Soapy," and wore a trademark green bow tie with white polka dots....	February 1, 1961	March 23, 1966	John F. Kennedy John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....  and Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
Joseph Palmer II Joseph Palmer II Joseph Palmer II was an American diplomat and State Department official whose career focused on U.S. relations with Africa....	April 11, 1966	July 7, 1969	Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
David D. Newsom David D. Newsom David Dunlop Newsom was the United States Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs from 1969 until 1974. Also, he was the United States Ambassador to the Philippines from 1977 to 1978....	July 17, 1969	January 13, 1974	Richard Nixon Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
Donald B. Easum Donald B. Easum Donald Boyd Easum spent 27 years in the United States Foreign Service at posts in Nicaragua, Indonesia, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Niger, Upper Volta and Nigeria...	March 18, 1974	March 26, 1975	Richard Nixon Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...  and Gerald Ford Gerald Ford Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
Nathaniel Davis Nathaniel Davis Nathaniel Davis A well known career diplomat who served in the United States Foreign Service and the Peace Corps for 36 years. His final years were spent teaching.-Early years:...	April 2, 1975	December 18, 1975	Gerald Ford Gerald Ford Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
William E. Schaufele, Jr. William E. Schaufele, Jr. William E. Schaufele, Jr. was an American diplomat and official at the United States Department of State.-Life:...	December 19, 1975	July 17, 1977	Gerald Ford Gerald Ford Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
Richard M. Moose Richard M. Moose Richard M. Moose begin work as a Foreign Service Officer in 1956, with stints in Mexico and Cameroun. He worked on the National Security Council as staff secretary until 1970. He then worked on the staff of J. William Fulbright's Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was appointed by President...	July 6, 1977	January 16, 1981	Jimmy Carter Jimmy Carter James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
Chester Crocker Chester Crocker Chester Arthur Crocker is an American diplomat who served as Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs from 1981 to 1989 in the Reagan administration. Crocker, architect of the U.S...	June 9, 1981	April 21, 1989	Ronald Reagan Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
Herman Jay Cohen Herman Jay Cohen Herman Jay "Hank" Cohen served as the United States Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs from 1989 to 1993. His lobbying firm, Cohen and Woods International, has represented the governments of Angola and Zimbabwe...	May 12, 1989	February 26, 1993	George H. W. Bush George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
George Moose George Moose George Edward Moose is an American diplomat who served as Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Ambassador to the UN agencies in Geneva, and as Ambassador to the Republics of Benin and Senegal...	April 2, 1993	August 22, 1997	Bill Clinton Bill Clinton William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
Susan E. Rice Susan E. Rice Susan Elizabeth Rice is an American diplomat, former think tank fellow, and civil servant. She is an American foreign policy advisor and United States Ambassador to the United Nations. Rice served on the staff of the National Security Council and as Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs...	October 14, 1997	January 20, 2001	Bill Clinton Bill Clinton William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
Walter H. Kansteiner, III Walter H. Kansteiner, III Walter H. Kansteiner, III was the United States Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs from June 2001 until November 2003.- Career :...	June 4, 2001	November 1, 2003	George W. Bush George W. Bush George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
Constance Berry Newman Constance Berry Newman Constance Ernestine Berry Newman was the United States Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs from June 2004 to April 2005.-Early life:...	June 24, 2004	August 26, 2005	George W. Bush George W. Bush George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
Jendayi Frazer Jendayi Frazer Jendayi Elizabeth Frazer is the former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, heading the Bureau of African Affairs. She currently serves as a Distinguished Service Professor at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College and Department of Social and Decision...	August 29, 2005	January 20, 2009	George W. Bush George W. Bush George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
Johnnie Carson Johnnie Carson (diplomat) Johnnie Carson is a career diplomat from the United States who has served as United States Ambassador to several African nations. In 2009 he was nominated to become U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs by President Barack Obama.-Biography:Carson was born April 7, 1943, in...	May 7, 2009	Incumbent	Barack Obama Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...