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The President of the United States R. Borden Reams
as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary |
The Kingdom of Dahomey was an overseas possession of France—part of French West Africa—until 1958. In that year Dahomey became an autonomous republic, and gained full independence in 1960. The United States immediately recognized Dahomey and began the process of initiating diplomatic relations. A U.S. Embassy at Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire (then named Ivory Coast) was established with Donald L. Norland as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim. The embassy was also accredited also to Dahomey, Niger, and Upper Volta (now named Burkina Faso) while resident at Abidjan. On July 31, 1960, Chargé Norland presented his credentials to the government of Dahomey, to take effect on August 1, 1960. On October 14, 1960, R. Borden Reams was appointed as the ambassador and presented his credentials on November 26, 1960.
On February 15, 1961, the Embassy in Cotonou, Dahomey, was established with Converse Hettinger as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim. Ambassador Reams remained resident in Abidjan.
In 1961 Robinson McIlvaine was appointed as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary with a separate commission solely to Dahomey. He presented his credentials to the government of Dahomey on June 22, 1961.
The Republic of Dahomey changed its name to Republic of Benin in 1975.
In June 2009, President Barack Obama nominated James Knight to succeed Brown as U.S. Ambassador to Benin.
R. Borden Reams – Career FSO
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: October 14, 1960
Presented credentials:November 26, 1960
Terminated mission: Superseded, July 31, 1961
Robinson McIlvaine – Career FSO
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: June 22, 1961
Presented credentials: July 31, 1961
Terminated mission: Left post, March 19, 1964
Clinton E. Knox – Career FSO
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: July 9, 1964
Presented credentials: August 18, 1964
Terminated mission: Left post, June 11, 1969
Matthew L. Looram, Jr. – Career FSO
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: May 27, 1969
Presented credentials: July 21, 1969
Terminated mission: Left post, December 3, 1971
Robert Anderson – Career FSO
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: February 15, 1972
Presented credentials: March 25, 1972
Terminated mission: Left post, April 11, 1974
James B. Engle – Career FSO
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: July 23, 1974
Presented credentials: November 26, 1974
Terminated mission: Left post, February 15, 1976
Note: There was no ambassador present between 1976 and 1983. The embassy was represented by a series of chargés d'affaires ad interim:
W. Kenneth Thompson (August 1976–August 1978)
John S. Davidson (September 1978–May 1980)
James R. Bullington (June 1980–July 1982)
Charles H. Twining, Jr. (July 1982–October 1983)
George E. Moose – Career FSO
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: October 7, 1983
Presented credentials: November 4, 1983
Terminated mission: Left post, July 7, 1986
Walter Edward Stadtler – Career FSO
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: October 16, 1986
Presented credentials: November 19, 1986
Terminated mission: Left post, December 3, 1989
Harriet Winsar Isom – Career FSO
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: November 21, 1989
Presented credentials: January 26, 1990
Terminated mission: Left post, November 14, 1992
Ruth A. Davis – Career FSO
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: August 17, 1992
Presented credentials: December 24, 1992
Terminated mission: Left post, November 3, 1995
John M. Yates – Career FSO
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: November 3, 1995
Presented credentials: November 24, 1995
Terminated mission: Left post October 27, 1998
Robert C. Felder – Career FSO
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: October 22, 1998
Presented credentials: November 20, 1998
Terminated mission: Left post June 10, 2000
Pamela E. Bridgewater – Career FSO
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: September 15, 2000
Presented credentials: November 24, 2000
Terminated mission: Left post December 10, 2002
Wayne E. Neill – Career FSO
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: April 16, 2003
Presented credentials: July 4, 2003
Terminated mission:
Gayleatha B. Brown – Career FSO
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: July 25, 2006
Presented credentials: Unknown
Terminated mission:
James Knight – Career FSO
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: August 7, 2009 [1]
Presented credentials: November 3, 2009
Terminated mission: April 28, 2013
Michael Raynor – Career FSO
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: May 24, 2012
Presented credentials: Unknown
Terminated mission:
Lucy Tamlyn – Career FSO
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointed: October 23, 2015
Presented credentials: Unknown
Terminated mission: Incumbent
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