United States Ambassador to Malawi

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Alan W. Eastham, U.S. Ambassador to Malawi
Alan W. Eastham, U.S. Ambassador to Malawi

In the late 19th century the area of southern Africa that is now Malawi was inhabited by the Maravi people, who were split into two branches: the Chewas and the Nyanjas.

In the second half of the 19th century, Scottish Presbyterian churches established missions in Malawi. One of their objectives was to end the slave trade to the Persian Gulf that continued to the end of the 19th century. In 1878, a number of traders, mostly from Glasgow, formed the African Lakes Company to supply goods and services to the missionaries. Other missionaries, traders, hunters, and planters soon followed. In 1883, a consul of the British government was accredited to the “Kings and Chiefs of Central Africa.”

In 1891, the British established the Nyasaland Protectorate (Nyasa is the Yao word for lake). The protectorate was also known as the British Central Africa Protectorate for several years around the turn of the century. Although the British remained in control until 1964, this period was marked by a number of unsuccessful Malawian attempts to obtain independence. A growing European and American-educated African elite became increasingly vocal and politically active—first through associations, and after 1944, through the Nyasaland African Congress (NAC).

During the 1950s, pressure for independence increased when Nyasaland was joined with Northern and Southern Rhodesia in 1953 to form the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. In 1960 a convention was held in London to draft a constitution for Malawi in preparation for independence. Elections were held on April 15, 1961 and at a second constitutional conference in London in November 1962, the British government agreed to give Nyasaland self-governing status the following year.

A new constitution took effect in May 1963, providing for virtually complete internal self-government. The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland was dissolved on December 31, 1963, and Malawi became a fully independent member of the Commonwealth of Nations on July 6, 1964.

The United States immediately recognized the new nation and moved to establish diplomatic relations. The U.S. embassy in Blantyre (later Zomba) was established July 6, 1964—independence day for Malawi—with Edward W. Holmes as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim, pending the arrival of an ambassador.

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[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.

  • Sam P. Gilstrap – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: July 1, 1964
    • Presented credentials: July 8, 1964
    • Terminated mission: Left post, October 6, 1965
  • Marshall P. Jones – Career FSO[1][2]
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: November 10, 1965
    • Presented credentials: January 13, 1966
    • Terminated mission: July 8, 1966 (reaccredited)
  • Marshall P. Jones – Career FSO[2]
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: July 8, 1966
    • Presented credentials: July 8, 1966
    • Terminated mission: Left post, March 20, 1970
  • William C. Burdett – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: April 8, 1970
    • Presented credentials: May 13, 1970
    • Terminated mission: Left post, May 11, 1974
  • Robert A. Stevenson – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: June 20, 1974
    • Presented credentials: August 15, 1974
    • Terminated mission: Left post, May 21, 1978
  • Note: The Embassy was moved to Lilongwe April 1, 1976, during Stevenson’s tenure.
  • Harold E. Horan – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: August 11, 1978
    • Presented credentials: January 24, 1979
    • Terminated mission: Left post, July 17, 1980
  • Note: The post was vacant July 1980–August 1981. Robert M. Maxim served as chargé d’affaires during that interval.
  • John A. Burroughs, Jr. – Political appointee[3]
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: May 7, 1981
    • Presented credentials: August 17, 1981
    • Terminated mission: Left post, June 9, 1984
  • Weston Adams – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: June 11, 1984
    • Presented credentials: August 17, 1984
    • Terminated mission: Left post, August 8, 1986
  • Note: The post was vacant August 1986–May 1988. Dennis C. Jett served as chargé d'affaires ad interim during that period.
  • George Arthur Trail III – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: April 28, 1988
    • Presented credentials: May 13, 1988
    • Terminated mission: Left post, May 2, 1991
  • Michael T. F. Pistor – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: July 1, 1991
    • Presented crMarch 25, 1991edentials:
    • Terminated mission: Left post, June 20, 1994
  • Peter R. Chaveas – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: May 9, 1994
    • Presented credentials: September 12, 1994
    • Terminated mission: Left post, June 27, 1997
  • Amelia Ellen Shippy – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: November 7, 1997
    • Presented credentials: February 2, 1998
    • Terminated mission: Left post August 5, 2000
  • Roger A. Meece – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: September 15, 2000
    • Presented credentials: November 7, 2000
    • Terminated mission: Left post July 20, 2003
  • Steven A. Browning – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: May 27, 2003
    • Presented credentials: September 19, 2003
    • Terminated mission: May 16, 2004
  • Alan Walter Eastham – Career FSO
    • Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
    • Appointed: August 2, 2005
    • Presented credentials: August 25, 2005
    • Terminated mission: Incumbent

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Jones was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on January 27, 1966.
  2. ^ a b Jones was reaccredited after Malawi became a republic and presented new credentials July 8, 1966.
  3. ^ An earlier nomination of September 22, 1980 was not acted upon by the Senate.

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[edit] External links