United States Ambassador to Lesotho

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You have new messages (last change).
June C. Perry, U.S. Ambassador to Lesotho
June C. Perry, U.S. Ambassador to Lesotho

In the 19th century, the area of Southern Africa that is now Lesotho was populated by the Basotho people. Their lands became a single polity (state) under paramount chief Moshoeshoe I in 1822. The state was recognized by Britain in 1843 as Basutoland (or Basotholand). In order to protect his people from usurpations of his land by Voertrekkers of the Orange Free State, Moshoeshoe appealed to Queen Victoria for assistance, and in 1868 Basutoland was placed under British protection. Thus Basutoland became a member of the British Empire.

In 1955 the Basutoland Council requested the British government to legislate its own internal affairs, and in 1959 a new constitution gave Basutoland its first elected legislature. This was followed in April 1965 with general legislative elections with universal adult suffrage.

Along with most of the Empire’s other colonies and protectorates, Basutoland gained full independence from Britain in the 1960s. The nation was granted full autonomy on April 30, 1965. On October 4, 1966, Basutoland was granted independence, governed by a constitutional monarchy with a bicameral parliament. At the same time the name of the country was changed to Lesotho.

The United States immediately recognized Lesotho after the nation gained its independence. An embassy in Maseru was established on October 4, 1966, Lesotho’s independence day. Richard St. F. Post was appointed as chargé d’affaires ad interim pending the arrival of an ambassador. The first ambassador, Charles J. Nelson was appointed on June 9, 1971.

Contents

[edit] Ambassadors

Diplomatic Terms

Career FSO: After 1915, The United States Department of State began classifying ambassadors as career Foreign Service Officers (FSO) for those who have served in the Foreign Service for a specified amount of time.

Political appointee: A person who is not a career foreign service officer, but is appointed by the president; often to reward political friends.

Appointed: The date that the ambassador took the oath of office—also called “commissioning.” This follows confirmation of a presidential appointment by the Senate, or a congressional-recess appointment by the president. In the case of a recess appointment, the ambassador must be later confirmed by the Senate.

Presented Credentials: The date that the ambassador presented his letter of credence to the head of state or appropriate authority of the receiving nation. At this time the ambassador officially becomes the representative of his country. This would normally occur a short time after the ambassador’s arrival on station. The host nation may reject the ambassador by not receiving the ambassador’s letter, but this occurs only rarely.

Terminated mission: Usually the date that the ambassador left the country. In some cases a letter of recall is presented, ending the ambassador’s commission, either as a means of diplomatic protest or because the diplomat is being reassigned elsewhere and replaced by another envoy.

Chargé d’affaires: The person in charge of the business of the embassy when there is no ambassador commissioned to the host country. See chargé d’affaires.

ad interim: For the time being; in the meantime. See ad interim.

  • Note: Pending appointment of the first ambassador, the following officers served as chargé d’affaires ad interim: Richard St. F. Post (October 1966–July 1968), Norman E. Barth (July 1968–August 1969), and Stephen G. Gebelt (October 1969–December 1970).
  • Note: Until 1979 one ambassador was accredited to Lesotho, Swaziland, and Botswana. The ambassador was resident in Gaborone, Botswana.
  • Charles J. Nelson – Career FSO[1]
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: June 9, 1971
    • Presented credentials: September 23, 1971
    • Terminated mission: Left Gaborone, March 2, 1974
  • David B. Bolen – Career FSO[1]
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: February 28, 1974
    • Presented credentials: April 25, 1974
    • Terminated mission: Left Gaborone, August 11, 1976
  • Donald R. Norland – Career FSO[1][2]
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: November 17, 1976
    • Presented credentials: January 6, 1977
    • Terminated mission: Left Gaborone, October 6, 1979
  • Note: Beginning in 1979, the ambassador was accredited solely to Lesotho and resident in Maseru.
  • John R. Clingerman – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: September 28, 1979
    • Presented credentials: November 1, 1979
    • Terminated mission: Left post, November 15, 1981
  • Keith Lapham Brown – Political appointee
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: March 9, 1982
    • Presented credentials: March 25, 1982
    • Terminated mission: Left post, December 1, 1983
  • S.L. Abbott – Political appointee
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: May 11, 1984
    • Presented credentials: July 3, 1984
    • Terminated mission: Left post, July 7, 1989
  • Robert M. Smalley – Political appointee
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: June 15, 1987
    • Presented credentials: July 2, 1987
    • Terminated mission: Left post, July 7, 1989
  • Jerry Alexander Moore, Jr. – Political appointee[3]
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed:
    • Presented credentials:
    • Terminated mission:
  • Note: Howard F. Jeter served as chargé d’affaires ad interim July 1989–January 1991.
  • Leonard H. O. Spearman – Political appointee
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: October 22, 1990
    • Presented credentials: January 24, 1991
    • Terminated mission: Left post, April 25, 1993
  • Note: Karl Hoffmann served as chargé d’affaires ad interim, April 1993–April 1995.
  • Bismarck Myrick – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: March 4, 1995
    • Presented credentials: April 27, 1995
    • Terminated mission: Left post June 10, 1998
  • Katherine Hubay Peterson – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: June 29, 1998
    • Presented credentials: September 18, 1998
    • Terminated mission: Left post June 1, 2001
  • Robert Geers Loftis – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: August 6, 2001
    • Presented credentials: October 11, 2001
    • Terminated mission: Left post June 18, 2004
  • June Carter Perry – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: July 2, 2004
    • Presented credentials: September 23, 2004
    • Terminated mission: Incumbent

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b c Accredited to Lesotho, Swaziland, and Botswana; resident at Gaborone.
  2. ^ Norland was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on June 24, 1977.
  3. ^ President Bush’s nomination of July 11, 1989 not acted upon by the Senate.

[edit] See also

[edit] References


[edit] External link

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../u/n/i/United_States_Ambassador_to_Lesotho_5add.html"