# List of ambassadors of the United States to Lesotho

Prior to 1965, the area of southern Africa that is now Lesotho was a Crown colony by the name of Basutoland. Along with most of the empire's other colonies and protectorates, Basutoland gained full independence from Britain in the 1960s. The nation was granted full autonomy on April 30, 1965. On October 4, 1966, Basutoland was granted independence, governed by a constitutional monarchy with a bicameral parliament. At the same time the name of the country was changed to The Kingdom of Lesotho.
The United States immediately recognized Lesotho after the nation gained its independence. An embassy in Maseru was established on October 4, 1966, Lesotho's independence day. Richard St. F. Post was appointed chargé d'affaires ad interim pending the arrival of an ambassador. The first ambassador, Charles J. Nelson was appointed on June 9, 1971. Until 1979 one ambassador was accredited to Lesotho, Swaziland, and Botswana. The ambassador was resident in Gaborone, Botswana.

## Ambassadors

* Note: Pending appointment of the first ambassador, the following officers served as chargé d'affaires ad interim: Richard St. F. Post (October 1966–July 1968), Norman E. Barth (July 1968–August 1969), and Stephen G. Gebelt (October 1969–December 1970).
| Name | Title | Appointed | Presented credentials | Terminated mission | Notes |
| Charles J. Nelson – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | June 9, 1971 | September 23, 1971 | Left Gaborone, March 2, 1974 | |
| David B. Bolen – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | February 28, 1974 | April 25, 1974 | Left Gaborone, August 11, 1976 | |
| Donald R. Norland – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | November 17, 1976 | January 6, 1977 | Left Gaborone, October 6, 1979 | Beginning in 1979, the ambassador was accredited solely to Lesotho and resident in Maseru. |
| John R. Clingerman – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | September 28, 1979 | November 1, 1979 | November 15, 1981 | |
| Keith Lapham Brown – Political appointee | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | March 9, 1982 | March 25, 1982 | December 1, 1983 | |
| Shirley Abbott – Political appointee | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | May 11, 1984 | July 3, 1984 | August 18, 1986 | |
| Robert M. Smalley – Political appointee | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | June 15, 1987 | July 2, 1987 | July 7, 1989 | |
| Leonard H. O. Spearman – Political appointee | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | October 22, 1990 | January 24, 1991 | April 25, 1993 | Karl Hoffmann served as chargé d'affaires ad interim, April 1993–April 1995. |
| Bismarck Myrick – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | March 4, 1995 | April 27, 1995 | June 10, 1998 | |
| Katherine Canavan – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | June 29, 1998 | September 18, 1998 | June 1, 2001 | |
| Robert Geers Loftis – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | August 6, 2001 | October 11, 2001 | June 18, 2004 | |
| June Carter Perry – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | July 2, 2004 | September 23, 2004 | May 21, 2007 | |
| Robert B. Nolan – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | September 26, 2007 | October 10, 2007 | September 3, 2010 | |
| Michele T. Bond – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | September 14, 2010 | October 28, 2010 | December 4, 2012 | |
| Matthew T. Harrington – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | September 22, 2014 | October 18, 2014 | January 20, 2017 | |
| Rebecca Gonzales – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | November 16, 2017 | February 8, 2018 | February 4, 2022 | |
| Maria E. Brewer – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | December 18, 2021 | March 10, 2022 | April 12, 2024 | |
| Keisha Toms Boutaleb – Career FSO | Chargé d'affaires ad interim | April 12, 2024 | | August 13, 2024 | |
| Thomas Hines – Career FSO | Chargé d'affaires ad interim | August 13, 2024 | | Incumbent | |