United States Ambassador to Estonia
Encyclopedia
This is a list of Ambassadors of the United States to Estonia
.
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
.
Note: 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.
Note: Soviet forces occupied Tallinn and Riga on June 17, 1940, which effectively ended the U.S. diplomatice presence in those nations. Ambassador Wiley departed Riga on July 25, 1940.
Note: Walter Leonard was serving as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim when all U.S. diplomatic officials accredited to Estonia were withdrawn from Tallinn on September 4, 1940. The legation in Tallinn was officially closed, September 5, 1940.
Note: 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.
Note: The following officers served as chargés d’affaires ad interim: Keith Smith (July–December 1994), and Jon Gundersen (December 1994–August 1995).
Note: Karen B. Decker served as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim.
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
.
The United States has maintained continuous official diplomatic relations with Estonia (as well as Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
and Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
) since 1922, when one ambassador, resident in Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
, 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
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
.
Ambassadors
- Frederick W.B. Coleman – Political appointee
- Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: September 20, 1922
- Presented credentials: November 20, 1922
- Terminated mission: Left Riga October 20, 1931
Note: During Coleman’s tenure as nonresident Minister, the Legation
Legation
A legation was the term used in diplomacy to denote a diplomatic representative office lower than an embassy. Where an embassy was headed by an Ambassador, a legation was headed by a Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary....
in Tallinn was established on June 30, 1930 with Harry E. Carlson as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim.
- Robert P. Skinner – Career FSO
- Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: September 23, 1931
- Presented credentials: April 2, 1932
- Terminated mission: Left Riga April 29, 1933
- John Van. A. MacMurray – Career FSO
- Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: August 28, 1933
- Presented credentials: January 4, 1934
- Terminated mission: Left Riga February 12, 1936
- Arthur Bliss LaneArthur Bliss LaneArthur Bliss Lane was the United States Ambassador to Poland .- Biography :Lane was born in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, Kings County, New York. He was appointed U.S. Minister to Nicaragua ; Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania ; Kingdom of Yugoslavia, ; and Costa Rica . He was then appointed U.S...
– Career FSO- Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: January 24, 1936
- Presented credentials: September 10, 1936
- Terminated mission: Left Riga September 16, 1937
- Frederick A. Sterling – Career FSO
- Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: August 9, 1937
- Presented credentials: —
- Terminated mission: —
- John C. Wiley – Career FSO
- Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: July 18, 1938
- Presented credentials: November 24, 1938
- Terminated mission: June 17, 1940
Note: Soviet forces occupied Tallinn and Riga on June 17, 1940, which effectively ended the U.S. diplomatice presence in those nations. Ambassador Wiley departed Riga on July 25, 1940.
Note: Walter Leonard was serving as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim when all U.S. diplomatic officials accredited to Estonia were withdrawn from Tallinn on September 4, 1940. The legation in Tallinn was officially closed, September 5, 1940.
Note: 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.
- Robert C. FrasureRobert C. FrasureRobert C. Frasure was an American diplomat and the first United States Ambassador to Estonia following Estonia's regained independence from the Soviet Union.-Biography:...
– Career FSO- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: March 23, 1992
- Presented credentials: April 9, 1992
- Terminated mission: Left post July 8, 1994
Note: The following officers served as chargés d’affaires ad interim: Keith Smith (July–December 1994), and Jon Gundersen (December 1994–August 1995).
- Lawrence P. TaylorLawrence Palmer TaylorLawrence Palmer Taylor was sworn in as the second U.S. Ambassador to Estonia in July 1995 and took up his posting in Tallinn in August 1995...
– Career FSO- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: June 27, 1995
- Presented credentials: August 3, 1995
- Terminated mission: Left post August 7, 1997
- Melissa Foelsch WellsMelissa F. WellsMelissa Foelsch Wells is a diplomat and former United States Ambassador to Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau , Mozambique , Congo-Kinshasa , and Estonia . She is a member of the American Academy of Diplomacy.Wells is the daughter of opera singer and film actress Miliza Korjus .-References:...
– Career FSO- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: October 1, 1998
- Presented credentials: November 3, 1998
- Terminated mission: Left post September 10, 2001
- Joseph M. DeThomas – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: November 5, 2001
- Presented credentials: December 11, 2001
- Terminated mission: Left post July 7, 2004
- Aldona WosAldona WosAldona Zofia Wos was the United States Ambassador to Estonia until early December 2006. She was the fifth ambassador to Estonia since that country regained independence in 1991...
– Political appointee- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: August 2, 2004
- Presented credentials: September 2, 2004
- Terminated mission: December 17, 2006
- Stanley Davis Phillips – Political appointee
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: March 21, 2007
- Presented credentials: May 31, 2007
- Terminated mission: January 16, 2009
Note: Karen B. Decker served as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim.
- Michael C. PoltMichael C. PoltAmbassador Polt was sworn in as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Estonia on November 30, 2009. He presented his credentials to Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves on December 10, 2009....
– Career FSO- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: September 25, 2009
- Presented credentials: December 10, 2009
- Terminated mission: Incumbent
See also
- Estonian Embassy, Washington, D.C.
- Estonia – United States relations
- Foreign relations of EstoniaForeign relations of EstoniaFollowing restoration of independence from the Soviet Union, Russia was one of the first nations to recognise Estonia's independence . Estonia's immediate priority after regaining its independence was the withdrawal of Russian forces from Estonian territory. In August 1994, this was completed...
- Ambassadors of the United States