The table below lists American Diplomats who have served in the United Kingdom.
Entries with a yellow background show declined appointments, rejected nominations or death by the nominee before taking up a post.
Where available, biographic information and speeches from previous incumbents are available on (or linked from) the Recent Ambassador’s to the UK page.
| Name Title State of Residency |
Appointment | Presentation of Credentials | Termination of Mission | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Adams Minister Plenipotentiary Massachusetts |
Feb 24, 1785 | Jun 1, 1785 | Had farewell audience, Feb 20, 1788 | Commissioned to the court of Great Britain; also accredited to the Netherlands. |
| Thomas Pinckney Minister Plenipotentiary South Carolina |
Jan 12, 1792 | Aug 9, 1792 | Presented recall, Jul 27, 1796 | Commissioned to the court of His Britannic Majesty. |
| Rufus King Minister Plenipotentiary New York |
May 20, 1796 | Jul 27, 1796 | Presented recall on or shortly before May 16, 1803 | Commissioned to the court of His Britannic Majesty. |
| James Monroe Minister Plenipotentiary Virginia |
Apr 18, 1803 | Aug 17, 1803 | Presented recall Oct 7, 1807 | Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Nov 18, 1803. Commissioned to the court of His Britannic Majesty. |
| William Pinkney Minister Plenipotentiary Maryland |
Feb 26, 1808 | Apr 27, 1808 | Left England on or soon after May 7, 1811 | Originally commissioned as Minister Plenipotentiary at the court of His Britannic Majesty and given a letter of credence as such, May 12, 1806–on the same day that he and Monroe were accredited jointly as Commissioners Plenipotentiary and Extraordinary on a special mission. When Monroe was preparing to leave London, he informed the Foreign Secretary that Pinkney would succeed him in the ordinary duties of the Legation; the British authorities declined to accept Pinkney’s 1806 letter of credence, but dealt with him informally until he was recommissioned and reaccredited. |
| Jonathan Russell Chargé d’Affaires |
[Jul 27, 1811 ] | Nov 15, 1811 | The U.S. declared war on Great Britain, Jun 18, 1812; Russell received unofficial notice of this, Jul 29, 1812, and suspended his official functions | Commission (issued during a recess of the Senate) not of record, but enclosed with an instruction of Jul 27, 1811. |
| John Q. Adams Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Massachusetts |
Feb 28, 1815 | Jun 8, 1815 | Presented recall, May 14, 1817 | Commissioned to the court of the Prince Regent of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. |
| Richard Rush Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Pennsylvania |
1817 | Feb 12, 1818 | Presented recall, Apr 27, 1825 | Month and day not included on record copy of commission, which was issued during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Dec 16, 1817. Commissioned to the court of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. |
| Rufus King Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary New York |
May 5, 1825 | Nov 11, 1825 | Transmitted recall by note, 16-Jun 23, 1826 | Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Dec 20, 1825. Commissioned to the court of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. |
| Albert Gallatin Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Pennsylvania |
May 10, 1826 | Sep 1, 1826 | Left post, Oct 4, 1827 | Commissioned to the court of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. |
| James Barbour Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Virginia |
May 23, 1828 | Nov 24, 1828 | Left post on or shortly before Oct 1, 1829 | Commissioned to the court of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. |
| Louis McLane Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Delaware |
Apr 18, 1829 | Oct 12, 1829 | Had farewell audience on or shortly before Jun 13, 1831 | Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Feb 10, 1830. Commissioned to the court of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. |
| Martin Van Buren Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary New York |
Aug 1, 1831 | Sep 21, 1831 | Had farewell audience, Mar 19, 1832 | Commissioned during a recess of the Senate. Commissioned to the court of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Nomination later rejected by the Senate. |
| Aaron Vail Chargé d’Affaires |
Jul 13, 1832 | [see note below] | Superseded, Jul 13, 1836 | No report has been found concerning Vail’s presentation of credentials as Chargé d’Affaires en titre; he had been received as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim on Apr 4, 1832. Commissioned to the court of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. |
| Andrew Stevenson Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Virginia |
Mar 16, 1836 | Jul 13, 1836 | Presented recall, Oct 21, 1841 | Commissioned to the court of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Nomination of May 20, 1834 rejected by the Senate; nomination of Feb 1, 1836 confirmed. |
| Edward Everett Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Massachusetts |
Sep 13, 1841 | Dec 16, 1841 | Presented recall, Aug 8, 1845 | Commissioned to the court of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. |
| Louis McLane Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Maryland |
Jun 16, 1845 | Aug 8, 1845 | Transmitted recall by note, Aug 18, 1846 | Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Dec 23, 1845. Commissioned to the court of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. |
| George Bancroft Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary New York |
Sep 9, 1846 | Nov 12, 1846 | Transmitted recall by note, Aug 31, 1849 | Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Dec 23, 1846. Commissioned to the court of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. |
| Abbott Lawrence Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Massachusetts |
Aug 20, 1849 | Oct 20, 1849 | Transmitted recall by note, Oct 12, 1852 | Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Jun 24, 1850. Commissioned to the court of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. |
| Joseph R. Ingersoll Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Pennsylvania |
Aug 21, 1852 | Oct 16, 1852 | Presented recall, Aug 23, 1853 | Commissioned to the court of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. |
| James Buchanan Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Pennsylvania |
Apr 11, 1853 | Aug 23, 1853 | Presented recall, Mar 15, 1856 | Commissioned to the court of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. |
| George M. Dallas Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Pennsylvania |
Feb 4, 1856 | Apr 4, 1856 | Presented recall, May 16, 1861 | Commissioned to the court of Her Britannic Majesty. |
| Charles Francis Adams Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Massachusetts |
Mar 20, 1861 | May 16, 1861 | Presented recall, May 13, 1868 | Commissioned to England. |
| George B. McClellan Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Ohio |
Not commissioned; nomination rejected by the Senate. | |||
| Reverdy Johnson Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Maryland |
Jun 12, 1868 | Sep 14, 1868 | Relinquished charge, May 13, 1869 | Commissioned to England. |
| J. Lothrop Motley Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Massachusetts |
Apr 13, 1869 | Jun 18, 1869 | Presented recall, Dec 6, 1870 | Commissioned to England. |
| Frederick T. Frelinghuysen Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary New Jersey |
Jul 15, 1870 | Commissioned to London; declined appointment. | ||
| Oliver T. Morton Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Indiana |
Sep 23, 1870 | Commissioned during a recess of the Senate. Commissioned to London; declined appointment. | ||
| Robert C. Schenck Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Ohio |
Dec 22, 1870 | Jun 23, 1871 | Left post, Mar 3, 1876 | |
| Richard H. Dana, Jr. Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Massachusetts |
Not commissioned; nomination rejected by the Senate. | |||
| Edwards Pierrepont Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary New York |
May 22, 1876 | Jul 11, 1876 | Presented recall, Dec 22, 1877 | |
| John Welsh Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Pennsylvania |
Nov 9, 1877 | Dec 22, 1877 | Presented recall, Aug 14, 1879 | |
| James Russell Lowell Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Massachusetts |
Jan 26, 1880 | Mar 11, 1880 | Presented recall, May 19, 1885 | |
| Edward J. Phelps Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Vermont |
Mar 23, 1885 | Mar 19, 1885 | Left post, Jan 31, 1889 | |
| Robert T. Lincoln Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Illinois |
Mar 30, 1889 | May 25, 1889 | Presented recall, May 4, 1893 | |
| Thomas F. Bayard Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Delaware |
Mar 30, 1893 | Jun 22, 1893 | Left post, Mar 17, 1897 | |
| John Hay Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary District of Columbia |
Mar 19, 1897 | May 3, 1897 | Presented recall, Sep 12, 1898 | |
| Joseph Choate Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary New York |
Jan 19, 1899 | Mar 6, 1899 | Presented recall, May 23, 1905 | |
| Whitelaw Reid [ Portrait ] Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary New York |
Mar 8, 1905 | Jun 5, 1905 | Died at post, Dec 15, 1912 | |
| Walter Hines Page Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary New York |
Apr 21, 1913 | May 30, 1913 | Left post, Oct 3, 1918 | |
| John W. Davis Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary West Virginia |
Nov 21, 1918 | Dec 18, 1918 | Left England, Mar 9, 1921 | |
| George Harvey Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary New Jersey |
Apr 16, 1921 | May 12, 1921 | Left England, Nov 3, 1923 | |
| Frank B. Kellogg Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Minnesota |
Dec 11, 1923 | Jan 14, 1924 | Presented recall, Feb 10, 1925 | |
| Alanson B. Houghton Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary New York |
Feb 24, 1925 | Apr 27, 1925 | Left post, Mar 28, 1929 | |
| Charles G. Dawes Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Illinois |
Apr 16, 1929 | Jun 15, 1929 | Left post, Dec 30, 1931 | |
| Andrew W. Mellon Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Pennsylvania |
Feb 5, 1932 | Apr 9, 1932 | Left England, Mar 17, 1933 | |
| Robert Worth Bingham Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Kentucky |
Mar 23, 1933 | May 23, 1933 | Left England, Nov 19, 1937 | |
| Joseph P. Kennedy Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary New York |
Jan 17, 1938 | Mar 8, 1938 | Left post, Oct 22, 1940 | |
| John G. Winant Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary New Hampshire |
Feb 11, 1941 | Mar 1, 1941 | Appointment terminated, Apr 10, 1946 | |
| W. Averell Harriman Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary New York |
Apr 2, 1946 | Apr 30, 1946 | Left post, Oct 1, 1946 | |
| O. Max Gardner Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary North Carolina |
[Dec 6, 1946] | Took oath of office, but died in the United States before proceeding to post. A commission signed by the President during a recess of the Senate, which had not yet been dated and attested, was returned to the President by the Acting Secretary on Dec 6, 1946, Gardner having declined a recess appointment. Recommissioned Jan 13, 1947. | ||
| Lewis W. Douglas Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Arizona |
Mar 6, 1947 | Mar 25, 1947 | Left post, Nov 16, 1950 | |
| Walter S. Gifford Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryNew York |
Sep 29, 1950 | Commissioned during a recess of the Senate. Did not serve under this appointment. | ||
| Walter S. Gifford Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary New York |
Dec 12, 1950 | Dec 21, 1950 | Left post, Jan 23, 1953 | |
| Winthrop W. Aldrich Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and PlenipotentiaryNew York |
Feb 2, 1953 | Feb 20, 1953 | Left England, Feb 1, 1957 | |
| John Hay Whitney Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary New York |
Feb 11, 1957 | Feb 28, 1957 | Left post, Jan 14, 1961 | |
| David K.E. Bruce Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Maryland |
Feb 22, 1961 | Mar 17, 1961 | Left post, Mar 20, 1969 | |
| Walter H. Annenberg Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Pennsylvania [Biography] |
Mar 14, 1969 | Apr 29, 1969 | Left post, Oct 30, 1974 | |
| Elliot L. Richardson Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Massachusetts |
Feb 20, 1975 | Mar 21, 1975 | Left post, Jan 16, 1976 | |
| Anne Legendre Armstrong Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Texas |
Jan 29, 1976 | Mar 17, 1976 | Left post, Mar 3, 1977 | |
| Kingman Brewster, Jr. Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Connecticut |
Apr 29, 1977 | Jun 3, 1977 | Left post, Feb 23, 1981 | |
| John J. Louis, Jr. Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Illinois |
May 7, 1981 | May 27, 1981 | Relinquished charge, Nov 7, 1983 | |
| Charles H. Price, II Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Missouri |
Nov 11, 1983 | Dec 20, 1983 | Left post, Feb 28, 1989 | |
| Henry E. Catto, Jr. Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Texas |
Apr 14, 1989 | May 17, 1989 | Left post, Mar 13, 1991 | |
| Raymond George Hardenbergh Seitz Foreign Service officer Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Texas |
Apr 25, 1991 | Jun 25, 1991 | Left post, May 10, 1994 | |
| William J. Crowe, Jr. Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Virginia |
May 13, 1994 | Jun 2, 1994 | Left post, Sep 20, 1997 | |
| Philip Lader Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary South Carolina |
Aug 1, 1997 | Sep 22, 1997 | Left post, Feb. 28, 2001 | |
| William S. Farish Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Texas |
July 11, 2001 | August 2001 | Left post, July 10, 2004 | Biography on our Archive site |
| Robert Holmes Tuttle Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary California |
30 June 2005 | 19 October 2005 | Left post, Feb. 06, 2009 | Biography on our Archive site |
| Louis B. Susman Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary California |
29 July 2009 | 17 August 2009 | Left post, April 03, 2013 | Biography on our Archive site |
| Matthew W. Barzun Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Kentucky |
9 July 2013 | 04 December 2013 (Youtube) |
Left post, January 18, 2017 | Biography on our Archive site |
| Robert Wood Johnson Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary |
21 August 2017 | 29 August 2017 | Left post, January 20, 2021 | Biography on our Archive site |
| Name Title State of Residency |
Appointment | Presentation of Credentials | Termination of Mission | Notes |
