Inaugural holder James Clement Dunn | Formation 1928 | |
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Reports to United States Secretary of State Nominator President of the United States 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.
Contents
Duties
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.
On December 12, 2013, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate Peter A. Selfridge, Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Advance & Operations at the White House, as Chief of Protocol.
Former child star Shirley Temple Black served as Chief of Protocol under President Gerald Ford.
The Chief of Protocol duties include being present at the annual State of the Union Speech (SOTU) given by the President each January before Congress. These SOTU duties include escorting the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps into the House Chamber for the SOTU speech. In 2014, the Acting Chief of Protocol, Natalie Jones, escorted the Acting Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, Ambassador Hersey Kyota of the Republic of Palau, into the House Chamber in his role as the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps.
The Chief of Protocol position should not be confused with the distinctly different White House Social Secretary position.
Divisions
The office identifies five divisions on its website, led by assistant chiefs, who oversee the following principal duties: