United States Ambassador to Hungary

Updated on Dec 19, 2023

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Formation December 26, 1921

Nominator President of the United States Inaugural holder Ulysses Grant-Smith as Chargé d'Affaires pro tem Website U.S. Embassy - Budapest

This is a list of ambassadors of the United States to Hungary

Until 1867 Hungary had been part of the Austrian Empire, when the empire became Austria-Hungary. Hungary had no separate diplomatic relations with other nations. The United States had diplomatic relations with the empire and Austria-Hungary through the legation in Vienna.

The empire was dissolved following World War I, and the United States established separate diplomatic relations with Austria and Hungary in 1921, reopening the embassy in Vienna and establishing a legation in Budapest. Ulysses Grant-Smith opened the U.S. legation on December 26, 1921, and remained the chief of mission as chargé d'affaires until an ambassador was commissioned the following year.

For ambassadors to Austria-Hungary prior to the dissolution of the empire, see United States Ambassador to Austria.

The United States Embassy in Hungary is located on Szabadság tér (Liberty Square) in the Pest part of Budapest.

Ambassadors

Ulysses Grant-Smith – Career FSO

Title: Chargé d'Affaires pro tem

Appointed: Not commissioned

Presented credentials: January 24, 1922

Terminated mission: Left post, April 28, 1922

Theodore Brentano – Political appointee

Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary

Appointed: February 10, 1922

Presented credentials: May 16, 1922

Terminated mission: Presented recall, May 6, 1927

J. Butler Wright – Career FSO

Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary

Appointed: February 26, 1927

Presented credentials: June 18, 1927

Terminated mission: Presented recall, October 24, 1930

Nicholas Roosevelt – Political appointee

Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary

Appointed: September 29, 1930

Presented credentials: November 12, 1930

Terminated mission: Left post, May 9, 1933

John Flournoy Montgomery – Political appointee

Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary

Appointed: June 13, 1933

Presented credentials: August 1, 1933

Terminated mission: Left post, March 17, 1941

Herbert Claiborne Pell – Political appointee

Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary

Appointed: February 11, 1941

Presented credentials: May 20, 1941

Terminated mission: Left post, January 16, 1942

Note: Hungary severed diplomatic relations with the United States on December 11, 1941, the same day on which the United States declared war on Germany. Hungary declared war on the United States two days later, December 13. Ambassador Pell closed the legation and departed Hungary on January 16, 1942. The United States and Hungary again established normal diplomatic relations after the war in 1945.

H.F. Arthur Schoenfeld – Career FSO

Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary

Appointed: December 15, 1945

Presented credentials: January 26, 1946

Terminated mission: Left post, June 1, 1947

Selden Chapin – Career FSO

Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary

Appointed: April 10, 1947

Presented credentials: July 9, 1947

Terminated mission: Left post February 17, 1949

Nathaniel P. Davis – Career FSO

Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary

Appointed: September 1, 1949

Presented credentials: October 21, 1949

Terminated mission: Left post, May 18, 1951

Christian M. Ravndal – Career FSO

Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary

Appointed: October 3, 1951

Presented credentials: January 11, 1952

Terminated mission: Left post, August 5, 1956

Edward T. Wailes – Career FSO

Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary

Appointed: July 26, 1956

Presented credentials: Did not present credentials

Terminated mission: left post, February 27, 1957

Note: Ambassador Wailes had been commissioned as ambassador during the Imre Nagy regime in Hungary, prior to the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. The ambassador arrived in Hungary on November 2, 1956, shortly after the new János Kádár government had been installed. Upon Wailes’ arrival in Hungary, he refused to present his credentials to the new government, stating that the government “did not represent the people.” Shortly thereafter he was “recalled for consultations” and left Hungary on February 27, 1957.

Note: From 1957 until 1967, no ambassador was commissioned to Hungary. The following persons served as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim.

Garret G. Ackerson, Jr. (July 1957–February 1961)

Horace G. Torbert, Jr. (February 1961–December 1962)

Owen T. Jones (December 1962–July 1964)

Elim O'Shaughnessy (November 1964–September 1966)

Richard W. Tims (September 1966–October 1967)

Note: Legation Budapest was raised to embassy status on November 28, 1966. As a result the U.S. representative would bear the rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.

Martin J. Hillenbrand – Career FSO