List of ambassadors of the United States to Tanzania


The present country of Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, was created upon the union of the formerly independent countries of Tanganyika and the People's Republic of Zanzibar.
Tanganyika became independent from the United Kingdom on December 9, 1961. The United States immediately recognized the new nation and moved to establish diplomatic relations. The US embassy in Dar es Salaam opened on the day of Tanganyika's independence. William R. Duggan served as the chargé d'affaires ad interim pending the appointment of an ambassador.
The Sultanate of Zanzibar became independent from the UK on December 19, 1963, as a constitutional monarchy headed by its sultan. The US established an embassy in Zanzibar on December 10, 1963, with Frederick P. Picard III serving as chargé d'affaires ad interim. In January 1964, the sultan was overthrown and the PRZ was established.
On April 26, 1964, Tanganyika united with the PRZ to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar. The US ambassador to Tanganyika, William K. Leonhart, immediately became the ambassador to the URTZ. A US ambassador to the PRZ had not yet been appointed when that country united with Tanganyika. In lieu of an ambassador, Frank C. Carlucci III was serving as the chargé d'affaires ad interim and continued in that capacity until the US embassy was downgraded to a consulate general on June 27, 1964.
The country was renamed the United Republic of Tanzania on October 29, 1964.
The US did not have an ambassador to Tanzania from October 2016 to August 2020.
WWW tanzania.usembassy.gov

Ambassadors

Name and statusTitleAppointedPresented credentialsTerminated missionNotes
William K. Leonhart – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary		August 22, 1962October 3, 1962December 22, 1965Leonhart was originally commissioned to Tanganyika. He was recommissioned when Tanganyika became a republic and presented new credentials on December 17, 1962. Leonhart continued to serve without further reaccreditation after the formation of the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar
John H. Burns – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary		September 24, 1965January 3, 1966June 22, 1969
Claude G. Ross – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary		October 9, 1969December 27, 1969June 25, 1972
W. Beverly Carter, Jr. – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary		June 27, 1972July 24, 1972October 14, 1975
James W. Spain – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary		November 20, 1975January 8, 1976August 21, 1979
Richard Noyes Viets – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary		September 28, 1979October 18, 1979May 16, 1981
David Charles Miller, Jr. – Political appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary		October 26, 1981November 4, 1981February 28, 1984
John William Shirley – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary		June 28, 1984July 28, 1984July 18, 1986
Donald K. Petterson – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary		October 16, 1986December 8, 1986December 26, 1989
Edmund DeJarnette, Jr. – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary		November 21, 1989February 26, 1990September 12, 1992
Peter Jon de Vos – Career FSOAmbassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary		June 15, 1992January 8, 1993June 3, 1994
J. Brady Anderson – Political appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary		August 26, 1994September 13, 1994October 7, 1997
Charles Richard Stith – Political appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary		June 29, 1998September 17, 1998January 20, 2001
Robert V. Royall – Political appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary		November 5, 2001December 19, 2001November 21, 2003The post was vacant from November 2003 until August 2005. Michael S. Owen served as chargé d'affaires ad interim during that time.
Michael Retzer – Political appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary		August 24, 2005March 9, 2005August 31, 2007
Mark Andrew Green – Political appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary		August 23, 2007September 13, 2007January 20, 2009
Alfonso E. Lenhardt – Political appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary		November 12, 2009November 12, 2009October 9, 2013
Mark B. Childress – Political appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary		April 7, 2014May 22, 2014October 25, 2016
Donald J. Wright – Political appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary		February 14, 2020August 2, 2020January 11, 2023
Michael Battle - Political appointeeAmbassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary		December 13, 2022February 27, 2023January 15, 2025
Andrew Lentz - Career FSOChargé d'affaires ad interimJanuary 15, 2025Incumbent