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History
Chiefs of Mission for Syria
NOTE TO READERS
Updates to the Principal Officers and Chiefs of Mission database are currently suspended. For information about the Department’s current and recent leadership, we recommend visiting the Department of State homepage’s Biographies of Senior Officials and List of U.S. Ambassadors.
Notice posted on January 12, 2024.
Last
updated March 14, 2024.
Chiefs of Mission
- George Wadsworth II (1893–1958)
- Diplomatic Agent/Consul General, November 30, 1942–November 17, 1944
- George Wadsworth II (1893–1958)
- Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, November 17, 1944–February 8, 1947
- James Hugh Keeley Jr. (1895–1985)
- Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, August 2, 1948–July 22, 1950
- Cavendish Wells Cannon (1895–1962)
- Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, October 30, 1950–May 8, 1952
- James Sayle Moose Jr. (1903–1989)
- Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, August 14, 1952–September 30, 1952
- James Sayle Moose Jr. (1903–1989)
- Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, September 30, 1952–June 30, 1957
- Charles Woodruff Yost (1907–1981)
- Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, January 16, 1958–February 22, 1958
- Embassy Damascus was reclassified as a Consulate General on February 25, 1958. The mission was re-established as an Embassy on October 10, 1961.
- Ridgway Brewster Knight (1911–2001)
- Chargé d’Affaires ad interim, October 10, 1961–January 11, 1962
- Ridgway Brewster Knight (1911–2001)
- Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, January 11, 1962–May 27, 1965
- Hugh Heyne Smythe (1913–1977)
- Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, October 28, 1965–June 6, 1967
- On February 8, 1974, the United States established an Interests Section in the Italian Embassy with Thomas J. Scotes as Principal Officer. The Embassy in Damascus was re-established on June 16, 1974.
- Thomas James Scotes (1932–)
- Chargé d’Affaires ad interim, June 16, 1974–
- Richard William Murphy (1929–)
- Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, September 9, 1974–April 23, 1978
- Talcott Williams Seelye (1922–2006)
- Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, September 17, 1978–August 31, 1981
- Robert Peter Paganelli (1931–)
- Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, November 12, 1981–June 13, 1984
- William Lester Eagleton Jr. (1926–2011)
- Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, December 6, 1984–August 31, 1988
- Edward Peter Djerejian (1939–)
- Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, October 2, 1988–July 25, 1991
- Christopher W.S. Ross (1943–)
- Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, September 25, 1991–March 22, 1998
- Ryan Clark Crocker (1949–)
- Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, June 6, 1999–June 30, 2001
- Theodore H. Kattouf (1946–)
- Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, January 12, 2002–August 23, 2003
- Margaret Scobey (1949–)
- Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, January 10, 2004–February 16, 2005
- Stephen A. Seche (1948–)
- Chargé d’Affaires ad interim, February 2005–July 2006
- Michael H. Corbin (1960–)
- Chargé d’Affaires ad interim, August 2006–August 2008
- Charles F. Hunter (1961–)
- Chargé d’Affaires ad interim, August 2009–January 2011
- Robert Stephen Ford (1958–)
- Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, January 27, 2011–February 6, 2012
- The U.S. Embassy in Damascus suspended operations on February 6, 2012, and all U.S. personnel were withdrawn after security conditions deteriorated in the midst of the Syrian civil war.
Other Nominees
- Paul Humiston Alling (1896–1949)
- Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary: Commissioned to the Republic of Syria. Took oath of office, but did not proceed to post.