| Chief of Protocol of the United States |
|
|---|---|
| Inaugural holder | James Clement Dunn |
| Formation | 1928 |
| Website | Official Website |
The Chief of Protocol is an officer of the United States Department of State responsible for advising the President of the United States, the vice president, and the secretary of state on matters of national and international diplomatic protocol. The Chief of Protocol holds the rank of Ambassador and Assistant Secretary of State.
The chief arranges itineraries for foreign dignitaries visiting the U.S. and accompanies the president on all official international travel. Additionally, the office is responsible for accrediting foreign diplomats and publishing the list of foreign consular offices in the U.S., organizing ceremonies for treaty signings, conducting ambassadorial swearing-in and state arrival ceremonies, and maintaining Blair House, the official guest house for state visitors.
The acting Chief of Protocol was Gladys Boluda, who took on the position at the end of Nancy Brinker's term on January 20, 2009. Laura Bowen Wills became the acting Chief of Protocol in May 2009 until Capricia Penavic Marshall was sworn in as Chief of Protocol of the United States on August 3, 2009.
A well-known Chief of Protocol is the former child star Shirley Temple Black.
The Chief of Protocol position should not be confused with the distinctly different White House Social Secretary position.
Contents |
The office identifies five divisions on its website, led by assistant chiefs, who oversee the following principal duties:[1]
| Name | Assumed office | Left office | President served under |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Clement Dunn | February 4, 1928 | November 17, 1930 | Herbert Hoover |
| F. Lammot Belin | November 17, 1930 | September 15, 1931 | Herbert Hoover |
| Warren Delano Robbins | September 15, 1931 | June 11, 1933 | Herbert Hoover |
| James Clement Dunn | June 11, 1933 | April 11, 1935 | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| Richard Southgate | April 11, 1935 | July 29, 1937 | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| George T. Summerlin | July 29, 1938 | January 15, 1944 | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| Stanley Woodward | January 15, 1944 | May 22, 1950 | Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman |
| John F. Simmons | August 18, 1950 | January 31, 1957 | Harry S. Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower |
| Wiley T. Buchanan | February 4, 1957 | January 23, 1961 | Dwight D. Eisenhower |
| Angier Biddle Duke | January 24, 1961 | January 20, 1965 | John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson |
| Lloyd Nelson Hand | January 21, 1965 | March 21, 1966 | Lyndon B. Johnson |
| James W. Symington | March 22, 1966 | March 31, 1968 | Lyndon B. Johnson |
| Angier Biddle Duke | April 1, 1968 | September 26, 1968 | Lyndon B. Johnson |
| Tyler Abell | September 30, 1968 | January 20, 1969 | Lyndon B. Johnson |
| Emil Mosbacher, Jr. | January 21, 1969 | June 30, 1972 | Richard Nixon |
| Marion H. Smoak | March 29, 1974 | Mar 30, 1974 | Richard Nixon |
| Henry E. Catto, Jr. | April 3, 1974 | July 1, 1976 | Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford |
| Shirley Temple Black | July 1, 1976 | January 21, 1977 | Gerald Ford |
| Evan Dobelle | March 2, 1977 | May 22, 1978 | Jimmy Carter |
| Edith H. J. Dobelle | November 3, 1978 | September 26, 1979 | Jimmy Carter |
| Abelardo L. Valdez | October 19, 1979 | January 21, 1981 | Jimmy Carter |
| Morgan Mason (acting) | January 21, 1981 | March 20, 1981 | Ronald Reagan |
| Leonore Annenberg | March 20, 1981 | January 6, 1982 | Ronald Reagan |
| Selwa Roosevelt | April 16, 1982 | January 20, 1989 | Ronald Reagan |
| Joseph Verner Reed, Jr. | May 21, 1989 | October 21, 1991 | George H. W. Bush |
| John Gifford Weinmann | October 31, 1991 | January 20, 1993 | George H. W. Bush |
| Molly M. Raiser | September 14, 1993 | July 24, 1997 | Bill Clinton |
| Mary Mel French | November 13, 1997 | January 20, 2001 | Bill Clinton |
| Donald Ensenat | June 6, 2001 | February 18, 2007 | George W. Bush |
| Nancy Brinker | September 14, 2007 | January 20, 2009 | George W. Bush |
| Capricia Marshall | August 3, 2009 | Present | Barack Obama |