List of United States permanent representatives to NATO

American official; ambassador to NATO

The United States Permanent Representative to NATO (commonly called the U.S. Ambassador to NATO) is the official representative of the United States to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Permanent Representative of the United States to NATO
Seal of the United States Department of State
Incumbent
Julianne Smith

since December 6, 2021
NominatorThe President of the United States
Inaugural holderWilliam H. Draper, Jr.
as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
FormationApril 8, 1953
WebsiteU.S. Mission - NATO

Background change

The Representative has the rank of full ambassador and is appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. The full official title of the Representative is United States Permanent Representative on the Council of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, with the rank and status of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.

The first Representative was appointed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953.

List change

Image Ambassador Dates served
  William Henry Draper, Jr. April 8, 1953 – June 13, 1953
  John Chambers Hughes June 12, 1953 – April 20, 1955
  George Walbridge Perkins, Jr. March 14, 1955 – October 12, 1957
  Warren Randolph Burgess September 21, 1957 – March 23, 1961
  Thomas K. Finletter March 2, 1961 – September 2, 1965
  Harlan Cleveland September 1, 1965 – June 11, 1969
  Robert Ellsworth May 13, 1969 – June 30, 1971
  David M. Kennedy March 17, 1972 – February 1, 1973
  Donald Rumsfeld February 2, 1973 – December 5, 1974
  David K. E. Bruce October 17, 1974 – February 12, 1976
  Robert Strausz-Hupé March 3, 1976 – April 20, 1977
  William Tapley Bennett Jr. April 26, 1977 – March 31, 1983
  David Manker Abshire July 13, 1983 – January 5, 1987
  Alton G. Keel, Jr. March 13, 1987 – June 17, 1989
  William Howard Taft IV August 3, 1989 – June 26, 1992
  Reginald Bartholomew June 15, 1992 – March 25, 1993
  Robert E. Hunter July 1, 1993 – January 1, 1998
  Alexander Vershbow November 10, 1997 – July 9, 2001
  R. Nicholas Burns August 7, 2001 – March 7, 2005
  Victoria Nuland July 13, 2005 – May 2, 2008
  Kurt Volker July 2, 2008 – May 15, 2009
  Ivo Daalder May 15, 2009 – September 2, 2013
  Douglas Lute September 3, 2013 – January 20, 2017
  Kay Bailey Hutchison August 28, 2017 – January 20, 2021
  Julianne Smith December 6, 2021

Other websites change