# List of ambassadors of the United States to Liberia

This is a record of ambassadors of the United States to Liberia.
Liberia, as a nation, had its beginnings in 1821 when groups of free blacks from the United States emigrated from the U.S. and began establishing colonies on the coast under the direction of the American Colonization Society. Between 1821 and 1847, by a combination of purchase and conquest, American Societies developed the colonies under the name "Liberia", dominating the native inhabitants of the area. In 1847 the colony declared itself an independent nation. Because it was already established as a nation, Liberia avoided becoming a European colony during the great age of European colonies in Africa during the latter half of the 19th century.
The United States recognized Liberia as an independent state in 1862 and commissioned its first representative to Liberia in 1863. The representative, Abraham Hanson, was appointed commissioner/consul general. The status of the commissioner was later upgraded to Minister, and finally to full ambassador in 1949. Relations between the United States and Liberia have been continuous since that time.
Eight U.S. ambassadors have died at their post serving in Liberia.
The U.S. embassy in Liberia is located in Monrovia.

## Ambassadors

| Name | Title | Appointed | Presented credentials | Terminated mission | Notes |
| Abraham Hanson | Commissioner/Consul General | June 8, 1863 | February 23, 1864 | July 20, 1866 | Died at post |
| John Seys | Minister Resident/Consul General | October 8, 1866 | January 2, 1867 | June 11, 1870 | |
| J. Milton Turner | Minister Resident/Consul General | March 1, 1871 | July 19, 1871 | May 7, 1878 | |
| John H. Smythe | Minister Resident/Consul General | May 23, 1878 | August 19, 1878 | December 22, 1881 | |
| Henry Highland Garnet | Minister Resident/Consul General | June 30, 1881 | December 22, 1881 | February 13, 1882 | Died at post |
| John H. Smythe | Minister Resident/Consul General | April 12, 1882 | August 4, 1882 | December 14, 1885 | |
| Moses A. Hopkins | Minister Resident/Consul General | September 11, 1885 | December 14, 1885 | August 3, 1886 | Died at post |
| Charles H. J. Taylor | Minister Resident/Consul General | March 11, 1887 | June 4, 1887 | c. September 22, 1887 | |
| Ezekiel E. Smith | Minister Resident/Consul General | April 24, 1888 | July 21, 1888 | May 20, 1890 | |
| Alexander Clark | Minister Resident/Consul General | August 16, 1890 | November 25, 1890 | May 31, 1891 | Died at post |
| William D. McCoy | Minister Resident/Consul General | January 11, 1892 | March 28, 1892 | May 15, 1893 | Died at post |
| William H. Heard | Minister Resident/Consul General | February 23, 1895 | May 6, 1895 | April 28, 1898 | |
| Owen L. W. Smith | Minister Resident/Consul General | February 11, 1898 | On or shortly before May 11, 1898 | May 13, 1902 | |
| John R. A. Crossland | Minister Resident/Consul General | January 16, 1902 | May 13, 1902 | January 30, 1903 | |
| Ernest Lyon | Minister Resident/Consul General | March 16, 1903 | July 27, 1903 | c. August 25, 1910 | |
| William D. Crum | Minister Resident/Consul General | June 13, 1910 | August 25, 1910 | September 17, 1912 | |
| George Washington Buckner – Political appointee | Minister Resident/Consul General | September 10, 1913 | December 8, 1913 | April 15, 1915 | |
| James L. Curtis – Political appointee | Minister Resident/Consul General | October 25, 1915 | December 29, 1915 | October 20, 1917 | |
| Joseph L. Johnson – Political appointee | Minister Resident/Consul General | August 27, 1918 | October 8, 1919 | February 13, 1922 | |
| Solomon Porter Hood – Political appointee | Minister Resident/Consul General | October 26, 1921 | February 13, 1922 | January 9, 1926 | |
| William T. Francis – Political appointee | Minister Resident/Consul General | July 9, 1927 | November 30, 1927 | July 15, 1929 | Died at post |
| Charles E. Mitchell – Political appointee | Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | January 20, 1931 | Did not present credentials | March 22, 1933 | Government of Liberia requested his recall on February 11, 1933 |
| Lester A. Walton – Political appointee | Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | July 22, 1935 | October 2, 1935 | February 28, 1946 | |
| Raphael O'Hara Lanier – Political appointee | Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | February 13, 1946 | July 1, 1946 | June 8, 1948 | |
| Edward R. Dudley – Political appointee | Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary | August 11, 1948 | October 18, 1948 | June 15, 1953 | Promoted to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary March 18, 1949 |
| Edward R. Dudley – Political appointee | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | August 11, 1948 | October 18, 1948 | June 15, 1953 | Promoted to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary March 18, 1949 |
| Jesse D. Locker – Political appointee | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | July 22, 1953 | October 16, 1953 | April 10, 1955 | Died at post |
| Richard Lee Jones – Political appointee | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | May 31, 1955 | June 24, 1955 | July 24, 1959 | |
| Elbert G. Mathews – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | August 12, 1959 | September 30, 1959 | May 4, 1962 | |
| Charles Edward Rhetts – Political appointee | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | July 5, 1962 | August 7, 1962 | September 30, 1964 | |
| Ben H. Brown, Jr. – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | November 25, 1964 | January 6, 1965 | July 17, 1969 | |
| Samuel Z. Westerfield, Jr. – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | July 8, 1969 | December 9, 1969 | July 19, 1972 | Died at post |
| Melvin L. Manfull – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | December 2, 1972 | December 22, 1972 | December 15, 1975 | |
| W. Beverly Carter, Jr. – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | April 6, 1976 | April 23, 1976 | January 1, 1979 | |
| Robert P. Smith – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | July 2, 1979 | August 6, 1979 | January 15, 1981 | |
| William Lacy Swing – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | July 18, 1981 | August 11, 1981 | June 10, 1985 | |
| Edward Joseph Perkins – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | July 12, 1985 | August 28, 1985 | October 22, 1986 | |
| James Keough Bishop – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | March 27, 1987 | May 4, 1987 | March 31, 1990 | |
| Peter Jon de Vos – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | June 22, 1990 | Did not present credentials | July 27, 1992 | From 1992–1999 the following officers served as chargés d’affaires ad interim: William H. Twaddell (September 1992 – July 1995), William B. Milam (November 1995 – January 1999), and Donald K. Petterson (February 1999 – August 1999). |
| Bismarck Myrick – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | July 7, 1999 | August 20, 1999 | July 23, 2002 | |
| John William Blaney – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | August 8, 2002 | October 3, 2002 | July 13, 2005 | |
| Donald E. Booth – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | June 21, 2005 | August 9, 2005 | July 11, 2008 | |
| Linda Thomas-Greenfield – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | July 18, 2008 | August 27, 2008 | February 29, 2012 | |
| Deborah R. Malac – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | July 26, 2012 | September 20, 2012 | December 18, 2015 | |
| Christine A. Elder – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | May 17, 2016 | June 23, 2016 | March 21, 2020 | |
| Michael A. McCarthy – Career FSO | Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | November 18, 2020 | January 22, 2021 | July 12, 2023 | |
| Joel Maybury – Career FSO | Chargé d'Affaires ad interim | July 13, 2023 | | August 11, 2023 | |
| Catherine Rodriguez – Career FSO | Chargé d'Affaires ad interim | August 11, 2023 | | August 2, 2024 | |
| Mark Toner – Career FSO | | May 2, 2024 | August 7, 2024 | Incumbent | |