Ambassador of the United States to Botswana
Seal of the United States Department of State
Incumbent
Howard Van Vranken
since May 24, 2023
NominatorThe President of the United States
AppointerThe President
with Senate advice and consent
Inaugural holderCharles H. Pletcher
as Chargé d'Affaires
FormationSeptember 1966
WebsiteU.S. Embassy - Gaborone

From 1885 until 1966 the area of Southern Africa that is now Botswana was part of the Bechuanaland Protectorate of Great Britain.

In June 1964, Britain accepted proposals for democratic self-government in Botswana. The seat of government was moved from Mahikeng in South Africa, to newly established in Gaberones (now Gaborone) in 1965. The 1965 constitution led to the first general elections and to independence on September 30, 1966.[citation needed]

The United States immediately recognized the new nation and moved to establish diplomatic relations. An embassy in Gaberones was established on September 30, 1966—independence day for Botswana. Charles H. Pletcher was appointed as Chargé d'affaires ad interim pending the appointment of an ambassador.[1] He served June 1970–September 1971.

Ambassadors

U.S. diplomatic terms

Career FSO
After 1915, The United States Department of State began classifying ambassadors as career Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) for those who have served in the Foreign Service for a specified amount of time.

Political appointee
A person who is not a career foreign service officer, but is appointed by the president (often as a reward to political friends).

Appointed
The date that the ambassador took the oath of office; also known as "commissioning". It follows confirmation of a presidential appointment by the Senate, or a Congressional recess appointment by the president. In the case of a recess appointment, the ambassador requires subsequent confirmation by the Senate to remain in office.

Presented credentials
The date that the ambassador presented his letter of credence to the head of state or appropriate authority of the receiving nation. At this time the ambassador officially becomes the representative of his country. This would normally occur a short time after the ambassador's arrival on station. The host nation may reject the ambassador by not receiving the ambassador's letter, but this occurs only rarely.

Terminated mission
Usually the date that the ambassador left the country. In some cases a letter of recall is presented, ending the ambassador's commission, either as a means of diplomatic protest or because the diplomat is being reassigned elsewhere and replaced by another envoy.

Chargé d'affaires
The person in charge of the business of the embassy when there is no ambassador commissioned to the host country.

Ad interim
Latin phrase meaning "for the time being", "in the meantime".
Name Title Appointed Presented credentials Terminated mission Notes
Charles J. Nelson – Political appointee[a] Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary June 9, 1971 November 3, 1971 Left Gaborone, March 2, 1974
David B. Bolen – Career FSO[a] February 28, 1974 April 22, 1974 Left Gaborone, August 11, 1976
Donald R. Norland – Career FSO[b] November 17, 1976 February 23, 1978 Left Gaborone, September 8, 1979 In 1979 the first ambassador was appointed solely for Botswana.
Horace Dawson – Career FSO October 12, 1979 November 27, 1979 August 27, 1982
Theodore C. Maino – Political appointee September 30, 1982 December 2, 1982 September 6, 1985
Natale H. Bellocchi – Career FSO October 28, 1985 November 19, 1985 September 16, 1988
John Florian Kordek – Career FSO August 11, 1988 September 29, 1988 November 1, 1989
David Passage – Career FSO June 27, 1990 August 7, 1990 April 29, 1993
Howard Franklin Jeter – Career FSO July 16, 1993 September 9, 1993 June 21, 1996
Robert Krueger – Political appointee June 6, 1996 July 23, 1996 December 6, 1999
John E. Lange – Career FSO November 16, 1999 December 15, 1999 August 8, 2002
Joseph Huggins – Career FSO November 15, 2002 January 28, 2003 July 26, 2005
Katherine H. P. Canavan – Career FSO August 2, 2005 September 27, 2005 June 27, 2008[2]
Stephen J. Nolan – Career FSO June 23, 2008[3] October 6, 2008 June 13, 2011[4]
Michelle D. Gavin – Political appointee April 18, 2011 June 20, 2011 February 22, 2014
Earl Robert Miller – Foreign Service Specialist December 2014 December 18, 2014 September 24, 2018
Craig L. Cloud - Career FSO January 7, 2019 April 2, 2019[5] May 24, 2022
Howard Van Vranken - Career FSO December 21, 2022 May 24, 2023 Incumbent

Notes

  1. ^ a b Accredited to Botswana, Eswatini, and Lesotho.
  2. ^ Norland was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned after confirmation on June 24, 1977.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Botswana - Chiefs of Mission - People - Department History - Office of the Historian". history.state.gov. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
  2. ^ United States Dep’t of State: Biography of Katherine H. Canavan
  3. ^ United States Dep’t of State: Biography of Stephen J. Nolan
  4. ^ "Stephen James Nolan - People - Department History - Office of the Historian".
  5. ^ Molefhi, Aobakwe (3 April 2019). "Botswana: Four Envoys Present Credentials". allAfrica. Retrieved 6 April 2019.

External links

Ambassadors of the United States
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