List of ambassadors of the United States to Bahrain
The United States ambassador to Bahrain is the official representative of the president of the United States to the head of state of Bahrain.
Until 1971, Bahrain had been part of a British protectorate along with the other sheikhdoms in the Persian Gulf. In 1971 the protectorate ended and seven of the other sheikhdoms joined in a federation to become the United Arab Emirates. Bahrain, however, did not join the federation but declared its independence on 15 August 1971. The United States recognized the State of Bahrain on the same day and moved to establish diplomatic relations.
The Embassy of [the United States, Manama|U.S. Embassy] in Manama was opened on 21 September 1971, with John N. Gatch, Jr. as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim. Ambassador William A. Stoltzfus, Jr. presented his credentials to the government of Bahrain on 17 February 1972. Stoltzfus was concurrently the ambassador to Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and the United States Ambassador to [the United Arab Emirates|United Arab Emirates], while resident in Kuwait. The first ambassador commissioned solely to Bahrain was Joseph W. Twinam in 1974.