The Ambassador of the United States to Algeria is the official representative of the President of the United States to the head of state of Algeria.
Until 1962, Algeria had been under the dominion of France. Independence from France was formally declared on July 3, 1962. The United States and France both formally recognized Algeria on that same day. The Algerian government had recognized the United States in 1795, but formal diplomatic relations had not been established.
The U.S. has had consular representation in Algeria intermittently since 1796. On September 29, 1962, diplomatic relations between Algeria and the United States were formally established when the U.S. Consulate General in Algiers was raised to embassy status. William J. Porter was appointed as the first chargé d'affaires ad interim pending appointment of an ambassador to Algiers. He was promoted to ambassador on November 29, 1962.
Algeria severed diplomatic relations with the United States on June 6, 1967, in the wake of the June 1967 Arab-Israeli War. A U.S. Interests Section was established in the Swiss Embassy. The United States and Algeria reestablished diplomatic relations, and their respective embassies in Algiers and Washington reopened on November 12, 1974.
Ambassadors and chiefs of mission
William J. Porter – Career FSO
Title: Chargé d'Affaires
Appointed: July 3, 1962
Presented credentials: —
Terminated mission: Promoted to ambassador, November 17, 1962
William J. Porter – Career FSOTitle: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: November 29, 1962
Presented credentials: December 17, 1962
Terminated mission: Left post July 29, 1965
John D. Jernegan – Career FSO
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: July 22, 1965
Presented credentials: October 13, 1965
Terminated mission: Left post June 10, 1967 after Algeria severed diplomatic relations with the U.S.
From 1967 to 1974, the United States maintained an Interests Section through the Swiss embassy in Algeria. The chiefs of mission (titled Principal Officer) at the U.S. Interests Section were:
Lewis Hoffacker (1967–1969)
William L. Eagleton, Jr. (1969–1974)
Richard Bordeaux Parker – Career FSO
Title: Chargé d'Affaires a.i.
Appointed: November 12, 1974
Presented credentials: —
Terminated mission: Promoted to ambassador, December 18, 1974
Richard Bordeaux Parker – Career FSO
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: December 18, 1974
Presented credentials: January 17, 1975
Terminated mission: Left post February 12, 1977
Ulric St. Clair Haynes, Jr. – Political appointee
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: May 11, 1977
Presented credentials: July 13, 1977
Terminated mission: Left post January 28, 1981
Michael H. Newlin – Career FSO
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: September 28, 1981
Presented credentials: October 28, 1981
Terminated mission: Left post July 21, 1985
L. Craig Johnstone – Career FSO
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: July 12, 1985
Presented credentials: September 9, 1985
Terminated mission: Left post July 10, 1988
Christopher W.S. Ross – Career FSO
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: August 12, 1988
Presented credentials: September 20, 1988
Terminated mission: Left post August 14, 1991
Mary Ann Casey – Career FSO
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: July 2, 1991
Presented credentials: September 8, 1991
Terminated mission: Left post October 19, 1994
Ronald E. Neumann – Career FSO
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: July 5, 1994
Presented credentials: September 18, 1994
Terminated mission: Left post September 19, 1997
Cameron R. Hume – Career FSO
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: November 10, 1997
Presented credentials: December 28, 1997
Terminated mission: Left post September 13, 2000
Janet A. Sanderson – Career FSO
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: September 15, 2000
Presented credentials: October 30, 2000
Terminated mission: Left post May 13, 2003
Richard W. Erdman – Career FSO
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: May 23, 2003
Presented credentials: July 26, 2003
Terminated mission: Left post January 9, 2006
Robert Stephen Ford – Career FSO
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: May 30, 2006
Presented credentials: September 4, 2006
Terminated mission: Left post June 26, 2008
David D. Pearce – Career FSOTitle: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: August 4, 2008
Presented credentials: September 2, 2008
Terminated mission: c. April 2011
W. William Jordan – Career FSO
Deputy Chief of Mission April–August 2011
Henry S. Ensher – Career FSO
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: c. July 2011
Presented credentials: August 10, 2011
Terminated mission:
Joan A. Polaschik - Career FSO
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Confirmed: July 29, 2014
Presented credentials: August 15, 2014
Terminated mission: January 20, 2017
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