United States Ambassador to Gabon
Encyclopedia
This is a list of Ambassadors of the United States to Gabon
.
Gabon had been an overseas territory of France since 1910. At that time it became part of French Equatorial Africa
, which included Middle Congo (now Republic of the Congo
), Chad
, and Oubangui-Chari
(now Central African Republic). Gabon achieved its independence as the Gabonese Republic on August 17, 1960.
The United States immediately recognized
the new Gabonese Republic and moved to establish diplomatic relations
. The new U.S. embassy in Brazzaville
, Republic of the Congo
had been established two days earlier on August 15. The current resident in Brazzaville, Alan W. Lukens, was commissioned also to Gabon and presented his credentials
to the government on August 17. W. Wendell Blancke was appointed as the first ambassador on December 12, 1960. He served concurrently as the ambassador to Gabon, Central African Republic, Chad, and the Republic of the Congo while resident in Brazzaville.
During Blanke’s tenure as non-resident ambassador, the embassy in Libreville
was established March 20, 1961, with Walker A. Diamanti as Chargé d’Affaires
ad interim. In September 1961 the first ambassador was appointed solely for Gabon. In 1975 the ambassador to Gabon was also accredited to the newly independent nation of São Tomé and Príncipe
.
The U.S. Embassy in Gabon is located in Libreville.
Gabon
Gabon , officially the Gabonese Republic is a state in west central Africa sharing borders with Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, and with the Republic of the Congo curving around the east and south. The Gulf of Guinea, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean is to the west...
.
Gabon had been an overseas territory of France since 1910. At that time it became part of French Equatorial Africa
French Equatorial Africa
French Equatorial Africa or the AEF was the federation of French colonial possessions in Middle Africa, extending northwards from the Congo River to the Sahara Desert.-History:...
, which included Middle Congo (now Republic of the Congo
Republic of the Congo
The Republic of the Congo , sometimes known locally as Congo-Brazzaville, is a state in Central Africa. It is bordered by Gabon, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo , the Angolan exclave province of Cabinda, and the Gulf of Guinea.The region was dominated by...
), Chad
Chad
Chad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...
, and Oubangui-Chari
Oubangui-Chari
Oubangui-Chari, or Ubangi-Shari, was a French territory in central Africa which later became the independent Central African Republic . French activity in the area began in 1889 with the establishment of an outpost at Bangui, now the capital of CAR. The territory was named in 1894.In 1903, French...
(now Central African Republic). Gabon achieved its independence as the Gabonese Republic on August 17, 1960.
The United States immediately recognized
Diplomatic recognition
Diplomatic recognition in international law is a unilateral political act with domestic and international legal consequences, whereby a state acknowledges an act or status of another state or government in control of a state...
the new Gabonese Republic and moved to establish diplomatic relations
Diplomacy
Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups or states...
. The new U.S. embassy in Brazzaville
Brazzaville
-Transport:The city is home to Maya-Maya Airport and a railway station on the Congo-Ocean Railway. It is also an important river port, with ferries sailing to Kinshasa and to Bangui via Impfondo...
, Republic of the Congo
Republic of the Congo
The Republic of the Congo , sometimes known locally as Congo-Brazzaville, is a state in Central Africa. It is bordered by Gabon, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo , the Angolan exclave province of Cabinda, and the Gulf of Guinea.The region was dominated by...
had been established two days earlier on August 15. The current resident in Brazzaville, Alan W. Lukens, was commissioned also to Gabon and presented his credentials
Letter of Credence
A letter of credence is a formal letter usually sent by one head of state to another that formally grants diplomatic accreditation to a named individual to be their ambassador in the country of the head of state receiving the letter...
to the government on August 17. W. Wendell Blancke was appointed as the first ambassador on December 12, 1960. He served concurrently as the ambassador to Gabon, Central African Republic, Chad, and the Republic of the Congo while resident in Brazzaville.
During Blanke’s tenure as non-resident ambassador, the embassy in Libreville
Libreville
Libreville is the capital and largest city of Gabon, in west central Africa. The city is a port on the Komo River, near the Gulf of Guinea, and a trade center for a timber region. As of 2005, it has a population of 578,156.- History :...
was established March 20, 1961, with Walker A. Diamanti as Chargé d’Affaires
Chargé d'affaires
In diplomacy, chargé d’affaires , often shortened to simply chargé, is the title of two classes of diplomatic agents who head a diplomatic mission, either on a temporary basis or when no more senior diplomat has been accredited.-Chargés d’affaires:Chargés d’affaires , who were...
ad interim. In September 1961 the first ambassador was appointed solely for Gabon. In 1975 the ambassador to Gabon was also accredited to the newly independent nation of São Tomé and Príncipe
São Tomé and Príncipe
São Tomé and Príncipe, officially the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, is a Portuguese-speaking island nation in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa. It consists of two islands: São Tomé and Príncipe, located about apart and about , respectively, off...
.
The U.S. Embassy in Gabon is located in Libreville.
Ambassadors
- W. Wendell Blancke – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: December 12, 1960
- Presented credentials: January 13, 1961
- Terminated mission: Superseded, October 10, 1961
- Charles F. Darlington – Political appointee
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: September 20, 1961
- Presented credentials: October 18, 1961
- Terminated mission: Left post, July 26, 1964
- David M. Bane – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: July 22, 1965
- Presented credentials: August 14, 1965
- Terminated mission: Left post, June 29, 1969
- Richard FunkhouserRichard FunkhouserRichard Edgar Funkhouser was an American diplomat and geologist, specializing in oil. He served as United States Ambassador to Gabon.-Early years:...
– Career FSO- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: June 13, 1969
- Presented credentials: August 9, 1969
- Terminated mission: Left post, August 2, 1970
- John A. McKesson, III – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: December 10, 1970
- Presented credentials: February 4, 1971
- Terminated mission: Left post, June 1, 1975
- Andrew L. Steigman – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: June 10, 1975
- Presented credentials: August 9, 1975
- Terminated mission: Left post, August 21, 1977
- Note: São Tomé and PríncipeSão Tomé and PríncipeSão Tomé and Príncipe, officially the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, is a Portuguese-speaking island nation in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa. It consists of two islands: São Tomé and Príncipe, located about apart and about , respectively, off...
achieved independence on July 12, 1975. The U.S. ambassador to Gabon and subsequent ambassadors were concurrently commissioned to São Tomé and Príncipe while resident in Libreville. - Arthur T. Tienken – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: February 3, 1978
- Presented credentials: March 6, 1978
- Terminated mission: Left post, July 19, 1981
- Francis Terry McNamaraFrancis Terry McNamara-Early life:Francis Terry McNamara was born in Troy, New York on November 2, 1927 to John F. McNamara, Sr. and Ellin F. Fennelly. His mother was a career civil servant with the State of New York. In 1944 during World War II, an underaged Mr. McNamara convinced a Navy recruiter to sign him up, and...
– Career FSO- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: December 11, 1981
- Presented credentials: January 19, 1982
- Terminated mission: Left post, August 3, 1984
- Larry C. Williamson – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: August 13, 1984
- Presented credentials: November 20, 1984
- Terminated mission: Left post, August 21, 1987
- Warren Clark, Jr. – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: August 10, 1987
- Presented credentials: September 19, 1987
- Terminated mission: Left post, August 24, 1989
- Keith Leveret Wauchope – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: November 6, 1989
- Presented credentials: December 8, 1989
- Terminated mission: Left post, July 13, 1992
- Joseph Charles Wilson IVJoseph C. WilsonJoseph Charles Wilson IV is a former United States diplomat best known for his 2002 trip to Niger to investigate allegations that Saddam Hussein was attempting to purchase yellowcake uranium; his New York Times op-ed piece, "What I Didn't Find in Africa"; and the subsequent "outing" of his wife...
– Career FSO- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: July 14, 1992
- Presented credentials: September 17, 1992
- Terminated mission: Left post, August 5, 1995
- Elizabeth Raspolic – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: October 3, 1995
- Presented credentials: November 29, 1995
- Terminated mission: Left post July 24, 1998
- James V. Ledesma – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: October 22, 1998
- Presented credentials: December 16, 1998
- Terminated mission: Left post June 18, 2001
- Note: The post was vacant June 2001–June 2002. Thomas F. Daughton served as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim in the interval.
- Kenneth Price Moorfield – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: January 30, 2002
- Presented credentials: June 20, 2002
- Terminated mission: 2004(?)
- R. Barrie WalkleyR. Barrie WalkleyR. Barrie Walkley is a retired American foreign service officer who served as the American ambassador to Guinea and to Sao Tome and Principe . He was called back to service and appointed Chargé d'Affaires for South Sudan at its independence. R. Barrie Walkley (1944-- ) is a retired American...
– Career FSO- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: July 2, 2004
- Presented credentials: November 12, 2004
- Terminated mission: Left post, April 27, 2007
- Eunice S. ReddickEunice S. ReddickEunice S. Reddick is an American diplomat and incumbent U.S. ambassador to Gabon and São Tomé and Príncipe.-Biography:Reddick graduated from Hunter College High School in New York City in 1969 and received a BA in history and literature from New York University and a Masters degree in...
– Career FSO- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: November 9, 2007
- Presented credentials: December 6, 2007
- Terminated mission: Unknown, prior to December 2010
- Eric D. Benjaminson – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: September 15, 2010
- Presented credentials: December 3, 2010
- Terminated mission: Incumbent
See also
- Gabon – United States relations
- Foreign relations of GabonForeign relations of GabonGabon has followed a non-aligned policy, advocating dialogue in international affairs and recognizing both parts of divided countries. Since 1973, the number of countries establishing diplomatic relations with Gabon has doubled...
- Ambassadors of the United States