List of ambassadors of the United States to Czechoslovakia Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Ambassador of the United States to Czechoslovakia
Seal of the United States Department of State
Incumbent None
Nominator	The President of the United States
Inaugural holder	Richard Crane as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
Formation	April 23, 1919
Abolished	December 31, 1992
Succession	• United States Ambassador to the Czech Republic • United States Ambassador to Slovakia

Following the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918 at the end of World War I, the Czechs and Slovaks united to form the new nation of Czechoslovakia. The United States recognized Czechoslovakia and commissioned its first ambassador on April 23, 1919.

Nazi Germany invaded Czechoslovakia in March 1939, establishing a German "protectorate", the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. By this time, Slovakia had already declared independence and had become a puppet state of Germany, the Slovak Republic. German forces occupied Prague on March 15, 1939. The U.S. embassy was closed on March 21, 1939 and the ambassador left his post on April 6, 1939.

During World War II the U.S. maintained diplomatic relations with the Czechoslovak government-in-exile in London. Ambassador Anthony J. Biddle, Jr. established an embassy in London on September 17, 1941 and the embassy was maintained until the end of World War II in Europe. Following the war the embassy in Prague was reopened on May 29, 1945.

In June 1992, the Slovak parliament voted to declare sovereignty and the Czech-Slovak federation dissolved peacefully on January 1, 1993. The United States recognized the Czech Republic and Slovakia as independent nations and moved to establish diplomatic relations. The previous ambassador to Czechoslovakia, Adrian A. Basora, continued as the ambassador to the Czech Republic. Paul Hacker, the incumbent U.S. consul general, served as the first chargé d'affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Slovakia (January 1 to July 7, 1993), followed by Eleanor Sutter. In November 1993, Theodore E. Russell, former deputy chief of mission in Prague, became the first U.S. ambassador to Slovakia.

Ambassadors

Richard Crane – Political appointee
- Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: April 23, 1919
- Presented credentials: June 11, 1919
- Terminated mission: December 5, 1921
Lewis Einstein – Political appointee
- Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: October 8, 1921
- Presented credentials: December 20, 1921
- Terminated mission: Left post, February 1, 1930
Abraham C. Ratshesky – Political appointee
- Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: January 25, 1930
- Presented credentials: May 2, 1930
- Terminated mission: Left post, May 13, 1932
Henry Frank Holthusen – Political appointee
- Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
- Appointed:
- Presented credentials:
- Terminated mission:
Francis White – Career FSO
- Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: June 13, 1933
- Presented credentials: September 7, 1933
- Terminated mission: Relinquished charge on November 30, 1933
J. Butler Wright – Career FSO
- Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: March 9, 1934
- Presented credentials: October 25, 1934
- Terminated mission: Left post, June 1, 1937
Wilbur J. Carr – Political appointee
- Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: July 13, 1937
- Presented credentials: September 16, 1937
- Terminated mission: April 6, 1939
Note: The embassy in Prague was closed on March 21, 1939, following the occupation of Prague by German forces on March 15. The U.S. opened an embassy in London and maintained diplomatic relations with the government-in-exile of Czechoslovakia during the war.
Anthony J. Biddle, Jr. – Political appointee
- Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: September 17, 1941
- Presented credentials: October 28, 1941
- Terminated mission: June 4, 1943
Note: The title of the commission was changed to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary in 1943. This required a new commission for the ambassador.
Anthony J. Biddle, Jr. – Political appointee
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: June 4, 1943
- Presented credentials: July 12, 1943
- Terminated mission: Left London on December 1, 1943
Note: After Germany’s surrender at the close of WWII in Europe, the mission of the embassy in London was terminated. Rudolph E. Schoenfeld was serving as chargé d'affaires ad interim when the embassy was closed.
Note: The embassy in Prague was re-established on May 29, 1945, with Alfred W. Klieforth as chargé d'affaires ad interim.
Laurence A. Steinhardt – Political appointee
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: December 20, 1944
- Presented credentials: July 20, 1945
- Terminated mission: Left post, September 19, 1948
Joseph E. Jacobs – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: October 15, 1948
- Presented credentials: January 5, 1949
- Terminated mission: Left post, October 12, 1949
Ellis O. Briggs – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: September 1, 1949
- Presented credentials: November 8, 1949
- Terminated mission: Left post, August 27, 1952
George Wadsworth – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: October 8, 1952
- Presented credentials: December 29, 1952
- Terminated mission: Left post, October 30, 1953
U. Alexis Johnson – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: November 10, 1953
- Presented credentials: December 31, 1953
- Terminated mission: Left post, December 29, 1957
John M. Allison – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: March 12, 1958
- Presented credentials: April 24, 1958
- Terminated mission: Relinquished charge on May 4, 1960
Christian M. Ravndal – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: July 21, 1960
- Presented credentials: September 16, 1960
- Terminated mission: Left post, May 6, 1961
Note: After 1961 the succeeding ambassadors were commissioned to the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic.
Edward T. Wailes – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: July 14, 1961
- Presented credentials: July 28, 1961
- Terminated mission: Left post, October 22, 1962
Outerbridge Horsey – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: November 14, 1962
- Presented credentials: January 3, 1963
- Terminated mission: Relinquished charge on August 1, 1966
Jacob D. Beam – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: May 27, 1966
- Presented credentials: August 31, 1966
- Terminated mission: Left post, March 5, 1969
Malcolm Toon – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: May 13, 1969
- Presented credentials: July 31, 1969
- Terminated mission: Left post, October 11, 1971
Albert W. Sherer, Jr. – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: February 15, 1972
- Presented credentials: March 15, 1972
- Terminated mission: Left post, July 29, 1975
Thomas Ryan Byrne – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: May 1, 1976
- Presented credentials: June 23, 1976
- Terminated mission: Left post, November 15, 1978
Francis J. Meehan – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: March 23, 1979
- Presented credentials: May 30, 1979
- Terminated mission: Left post, October 20, 1980
Jack F. Matlock, Jr. – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: September 28, 1981
- Presented credentials: November 11, 1981
- Terminated mission: September 20, 1983
William H. Luers – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: November 14, 1983
- Presented credentials: December 29, 1983
- Terminated mission: Left post, March 11, 1986
Julian Niemczyk – Political appointee
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: August 18, 1986
- Presented credentials: October 2, 1986
- Terminated mission: Left post, July 7, 1989
Shirley Temple Black – Political appointee
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: August 3, 1989
- Presented credentials: August 23, 1989
- Terminated mission: Left post, July 12, 1992
Adrian A. Basora – Career FSO
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Appointed: June 15, 1992
- Presented credentials: July 20, 1992
- Terminated mission: December 31, 1992
Note: The Czech and Slovak Federal Republic ceased to exist on December 31, 1992. For later ambassadors, see United States Ambassador to the Czech Republic and United States Ambassador to Slovakia.

List of ambassadors of the United States to Czechoslovakia facts for kids

Ambassadors

See also