United States Ambassador to Norway

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“Villa Otium,” the residence of the US Ambassador in Oslo

Prior to 1905, Sweden and Norway were politically united. The United States Ambassador to Sweden thus was the US representative for Norway as well as Sweden. In 1905 Sweden and Norway peacefully separated and Norway became an independent constitutional monarchy. On November 14, 1905, the US State Department instructed Ambassador Charles H. Graves to handle affairs for Sweden and Norway separately and the Ambassador was thus commissioned to Norway equally with Sweden, though he remained in Stockholm.

On June 22, 1906, Herbert H. D. Peirce was appointed to be the first ambassador of the US appointed specifically solely for Norway. On August 6, 1906, the embassy in Stockholm ceased all functions related to Norway. Peirce presented his credentials to the foreign minister of Norway on August 13, 1906.

[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.

Charles H. Graves^[1]
- Appointed: March 8, 1905
- Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
- Presented credentials: May 31, 1905
- Terminated mission: Terminated functions with respect to Norway, August 6, 1906

Herbert H. D. Peirce
- Appointed: June 22, 1906
- Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
- Presented credentials: August 13, 1906
- Terminated mission: Presented recall, May 30, 1911

Laurits S. Swenson
- Appointed: April 27, 1911
- Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
- Presented credentials: June 10, 1911
- Terminated mission: Presented recall, October 4, 1913

Albert G. Schmedeman – Political appointee
- Appointed: July 21, 1913
- Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
- Presented credentials: October 4, 1913
- Terminated mission: Left post July 29, 1921

Laurits S. Swenson – Political appointee
- Appointed: October 8, 1921
- Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
- Presented credentials: November 28, 1921
- Terminated mission: Left post November 9, 1930

Hoffman Philip^[2] – Career FSO
- Appointed: July 22, 1930
- Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
- Presented credentials: November 15, 1930
- Terminated mission: Left post August 3, 1935

Anthony J. Drexel Biddle, Jr. – Political appointee
- Appointed: July 22, 1935
- Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
- Presented credentials: September 7, 1935
- Terminated mission: Left post May 21, 1937

Note: During the German occupation of Norway in WWII, the government of Norway fled to England and set up a government-in-exile in London. The United States maintained diplomatic relations with Norway during the war, with the ambassador staying in London near the government offices.

Florence Jaffray Harriman^[3]^[4] – Political appointee
- Appointed: May 4, 1937
- Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
- Presented credentials: July 1, 1937
- Terminated mission: Left Norway, April 22, 1940

Anthony J. Drexel Biddle, Jr.^[5] – Political appointee
- Appointed: February 11, 1941
- Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
- Presented credentials: March 20, 1941
- Terminated mission: Promoted to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary May 12, 1942

Note: The title of the office was changed to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary on May 12, 1942. This required a new appointment and commission.

Anthony J. Drexel Biddle, Jr.^[5] – Political appointee
- Appointed: May 12, 1942
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Presented credentials: May 13, 1942
- Terminated mission: Left London, December 1, 1943

Lithgow Osborne^[6] – Career FSO
- Appointed: September 21, 1944
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Presented credentials: December 20, 1944
- Terminated mission: Left Oslo, April 20, 1946

Charles Ulrick Bay – Political appointee
- Appointed: June 6, 1946
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Presented credentials: July 26, 1946
- Terminated mission: Appointment terminated, July 31, 1953

L. Corrin Strong – Political appointee
- Appointed: June 24, 1953
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Presented credentials: August 10, 1953
- Terminated mission: Left post February 16, 1957

Frances E. Willis – Career FSO
- Appointed: May 20, 1957
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Presented credentials: June 19, 1957
- Terminated mission: Left post May 15, 1961

Clifton R. Wharton – Career FSO
- Appointed: March 2, 1961
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Presented credentials: April 18, 1961
- Terminated mission: Left post September 4, 1964

Margaret Joy Tibbetts – Career FSO
- Appointed: July 31, 1964
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Presented credentials: October 6, 1964
- Terminated mission: Left post May 23, 1969

Philip K. Crowe – Political appointee
- Appointed: May 1, 1969
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Presented credentials: June 23, 1969
- Terminated mission: Left post August 31, 1973

Thomas R. Byrne – Political appointee
- Appointed: August 3, 1973
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Presented credentials: October 4, 1973
- Terminated mission: Left post April 10, 1976

William A. Anders – Political appointee
- Appointed: April 13, 1976
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Presented credentials: May 11, 1976
- Terminated mission: Left post June 18, 1977

Louis A. Lerner – Political appointee
- Appointed: July 15, 1977
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Presented credentials: August 23, 1977
- Terminated mission: Left post January 28, 1980

Sidney Anders Rand – Political appointee
- Appointed: December 20, 1979
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Presented credentials: March 4, 1980
- Terminated mission: Left post February 14, 1981

Mark Evans Austad – Political appointee
- Appointed: December 11, 1981
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Presented credentials: January 5, 1982
- Terminated mission: Left post September 15, 1984

Robert D. Stuart – Political appointee
- Appointed: September 18, 1984
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Presented credentials: October 16, 1984
- Terminated mission: Left post July 17, 1989

Loret Miller Ruppe – Political appointee
- Appointed: August 7, 1989
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Presented credentials: August 29, 1989
- Terminated mission: Left post February 28, 1993

Thomas A. Loftus – Political appointee
- Appointed: November 4, 1993
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Presented credentials: November 18, 1993
- Terminated mission: Left post December 22, 1997

David B. Hermelin – Political appointee
- Appointed: November 10, 1997
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Presented credentials: January 8, 1998
- Terminated mission: Left post January 7, 2000

Robin Chandler Duke^[7] – Political appointee
- Appointed: August 3, 2000
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Presented credentials: September 12, 2000
- Terminated mission: Left post March 1, 2001

John D. Ong – Political appointee
- Appointed: January 30, 2002
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Presented credentials: February 27, 2002
- Terminated mission: Left post November 21, 2005

Benson K. Whitney – Political appointee
- Appointed: November 2, 2005
- Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
- Presented credentials: January 12, 2006
- Terminated mission: -

[edit] Notes

^ Commissioned to Sweden and Norway; resident at Stockholm, Sweden. On November 14, 1905, he acknowledged instructions to exercise the functions of his office toward Norway separately.
^ Philip was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on December 16, 1930.
^ The Government of Norway left Oslo, April 9, 1940, in anticipation of German occupation. Harriman departed 13 days later.
^ Raymond E. Cox was serving as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim when the legation in Oslo was closed, July 15, 1940. Rudolf E. Schoenfeld opened the legation near the Government of Norway that was established in England, making his initial call as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim on August 2, 1940.
^ ^a ^b Biddle served near the Government of Norway in exile that was established in England. Biddle was commissioned also to Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Greece, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, and Yugoslavia. He was resident at London.
^ Osborne served near the Government of Norway that was established in England and he was resident first at London. When the government of Norway returned to Oslo, Osborne transferred the embassy to Oslo on May 31, 1945.
^ Duke was commissioned during a recess of the Senate. A later nomination of September 28, 2000, was not acted upon by the Senate.