Chiefs of Mission -- China

(Source: Dept. of State)

Also see:
U.S. Liaison Office in Peking (now Beijing)

Name: Edward Everett
Title: Commissioner
Appointment: Mar 3, 1843
Note: Commissioned to China. Declined appointment.

Name: Caleb Cushing
State of Residency: Massachusetts
Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary & Commissioner
Appointment: May 8, 1843
Presentation of Credentials: [about Jun 12, 1844]
Termination of Mission: Left Macao, Aug 27, 1844
Note: Commissioned to China. Was issued two separate commissions during a recess of the Senate, one as Commissioner and one as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary; after confirmation on Jun 17, 1844, recommissioned as Commissioner only. Presentation of credentials to the Chief of State upon arrival did not become the normal procedure for U.S. diplomatic representatives in China until 1898. The date in brackets represents establishment of an official relationship with appropriate Chinese authorieies, not necessarily including communication to them of a letter of credence.

Name: Alexander H. Everett
State of Residency: Massachusetts
Title: Commissioner
Appointment: Mar 13, 1845
Presentation of Credentials: [Oct 26, 1846]
Termination of Mission: Died at post, Jun 28, 1847
Note: Commissioned to China. Presentation of credentials to the Chief of State upon arrival did not become the normal procedure for U.S. diplomatic representatives in China until 1898. The date in brackets represents establishment of an official relationship with appropriate Chinese authorieies, not necessarily including communication to them of a letter of credence. Nominated Feb 26, 1845, to be Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary; the Senate did not confirm this nomination.

Name: John W. Davis
State of Residency: Indiana
Title: Commissioner
Appointment: Jan 3, 1848
Presentation of Credentials: [Oct 6, 1848]
Termination of Mission: Left post, May 25, 1850
Note: Commissioned to China.  Presentation of credentials to the Chief of State upon arrival did not become the normal procedure for U.S. diplomatic representatives in China until 1898. The date in brackets represents establishment of an official relationship with appropriate Chinese authorities, not necessarily including communication to them of a letter or credence.

Note: Peter Parker served as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim, May 1850-Jul 1853.

Name: Joseph Blunt
State of Residency: New York
Title: Commissioner
Appointment: Oct 15, 1851
Note: Commissioned during a recess of the Senate. Commissioned to China. Declined appointment.

Name: Humphrey Marshall
State of Residency: Kentucky
Title: Commissioner
Appointment: Aug 4, 1852
Presentation of Credentials: [Jul 4, 1853]
Termination of Mission: Left post, Jan 27, 1854
Note: Commissioned to China. Presentation of credentials to the Chief of State upon arrival did not become the normal procedure for U.S. diplomatic representatives in China until 1898. The date in brackets represents establishment of an official relationship with appropriate Chinese authorities, not necessarily including communication to them of a letter or credence.

Name: Robert J. Walker
State of Residency: Mississippi
Title: Commissioner
Appointment: Jun 21, 1853
Note: Commissioned during recess of the Senate. Commissioned to China. Declined appointment.

Name: Robert M. McLane
State of Residency: Maryland
Title: Commissioner
Appointment: Oct 18, 1853
Presentation of Credentials: [Nov 3, 1854]
Termination of Mission: Left post, Dec 12, 1854
Note:Commissioned during recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Dec 6, 1853. Commissioned to China. Presentation of credentials to the Chief of State upon arrival did not become the normal procedure for U.S. diplomatic representatives in China until 1898. The date in brackets represents establishment of an official relationship with appropriate Chinese authorities, not necessarily including communication to them of a letter or credence.

Name: Peter Parker
State of Residency: Massachusetts
Title: Commissioner
Appointment: Aug 16, 1855
Presentation of Credentials: [Jul 15, 1856]
Termination of Mission: Left China Aug 25, 1857
Note: Commissioned during a recess of Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on May 26, 1856. Commissioned to China. Presentation of credentials to the Chief of State upon arrival did not become the normal procedure for U.S. diplomatic representatives in China until 1898. The date in brackets represents establishment of an official relationship with appropriate Chinese authorities, not necessarily including communication to them of a letter or credence.

Name: William B. Reed
State of Residency: Pennsylvania
Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
Appointment: Apr 18, 1857
Presentation of Credentials: [May 3, 1858]
Termination of Mission: Left China, Nov 11, 1858
Note: Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Jan 14, 1858. Commissioned to China. Presentation of credentials to the Chief of State upon arrival did not become the normal procedure for U.S. diplomatic representatives in China until 1898. The date in brackets represents establishment of an official relationship with appropriate Chinese authorities, not necessarily including communication to them of a letter or credence.

Name: John E. Ward
State of Residency: Georgia
Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
Appointment: Dec 15, 1858
Presentation of Credentials: [Aug 10, 1859]
Termination of Mission: Left Hong Kong, Dec 15, 1860
Note: Commissioned to China. Presentation of credentials to the Chief of State upon arrival did not become the normal procedure for U.S. diplomatic representatives in China until 1898. The date in brackets represents establishment of an official relationship with appropriate Chinese authorities, not necessarily including communication to them of a letter or credence.

Name: Anson Burlingame
State of Residency: Massachusetts
Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
Appointment: Jun 14, 1861
Presentation of Credentials: [Aug 20, 1862]
Termination of Mission: Appointment terminated, Nov 21, 1867
Note: Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Jul 15, 1861. Commissioned to China. Presentation of credentials to the Chief of State upon arrival did not become the normal procedure for U.S. diplomatic representatives in China until 1898. The date in brackets represents establishment of an official relationship with appropriate Chinese authorities, not necessarily including communication to them of a letter or credence.

Name: J. Ross Browne
State of Residency: California
Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
Appointment: Mar 11, 1868
Presentation of Credentials: [Sep 29-Oct 28, 1868]
Termination of Mission: Left post, Jul 5, 1869
Note: Commissioned to China. Presentation of credentials to the Chief of State upon arrival did not become the normal procedure for U.S. diplomatic representatives in China until 1898. The date in brackets represents establishment of an official relationship with appropriate Chinese authorities, not necessarily including communication to them of a letter or credence.

Name: William A. Howard
State of Residency: Michigan
Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
Note: Commissioned to China. Took oath of office, but did not proceed to post.

Name: Frederick F. Low
State of Residency: California
Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
Appointment: Sep 28, 1869
Presentation of Credentials: [Apr 27, 1870]
Termination of Mission: Left post, Jul 24, 1873
Note: Commissioned during recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation Dec 21, 1869. Commissioned to China. Presentation of credentials to the Chief of State upon arrival did not become the normal procedure for U.S. diplomatic representatives in China until 1898. The date in brackets represents establishment of an official relationship with appropriate Chinese authorities, not necessarily including communication to them of a letter or credence.

Name: Benjamin P. Avery
State of Residency: California
Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
Appointment: Apr 10, 1874
Presentation of Credentials: [Nov 29, 1874]
Termination of Mission: Died at post, Nov 8, 1875
Note: Commissioned to China. Presentation of credentials to the Chief of State upon arrival did not become the normal procedure for U.S. diplomatic representatives in China until 1898. The date in brackets represents establishment of an official relationship with appropriate Chinese authorities, not necessarily including communication to them of a letter or credence.

Name: George F. Seward
State of Residency: California
Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
Appointment: Jan 7, 1876
Presentation of Credentials: [Apr 24, 1876]
Termination of Mission: Superseded, Aug 16, 1880
Note: Commissioned to China. Presentation of credentials to the Chief of State upon arrival did not become the normal procedure for U.S. diplomatic representatives in China until 1898. The date in brackets represents establishment of an official relationship with appropriate Chinese authorities, not necessarily including communication to them of a letter or credence.

Name: James B. Angell
State of Residency: Michigan
Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
Appointment: Apr 9, 1880
Presentation of Credentials: [Aug 16, 1880]
Termination of Mission: Left post, Oct 4, 1881
Note: Commissioned to China. Presentation of credentials to the Chief of State upon arrival did not become the normal procedure for U.S. diplomatic representatives in China until 1898. The date in brackets represents establishment of an official relationship with appropriate Chinese authorities, not necessarily including communication to them of a letter or credence.

Name: John Russell Young
State of Residency: New York
Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
Appointment: Mar 15, 1882
Presentation of Credentials: [Aug 17, 1882]
Termination of Mission: Relinquished charge, Apr 7, 1885
Note: Commissioned to China. Presentation of credentials to the Chief of State upon arrival did not become the normal procedure for U.S. diplomatic representatives in China until 1898. The date in brackets represents establishment of an official relationship with appropriate Chinese authorities, not necessarily including communication to them of a letter or credence.

Name: Charles Denby
State of Residency: Indiana
Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
Appointment: May 29, 1885
Presentation of Credentials: [Oct 1, 1885]
Termination of Mission: Presented recall, Jul 8, 1898
Note: Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Jan 13, 1886. Commissioned to China. Presentation of credentials to the Chief of State upon arrival did not become the normal procedure for U.S. diplomatic representatives in China until 1898. The date in brackets represents establishment of an official relationship with appropriate Chinese authorities, not necessarily including communication to them of a letter or credence.

Name: Henry W. Blair
State of Residency: New Hampshire
Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
Appointment: Feb 27, 1891
Note: Commissioned to China. Took oath of office under recess appointment, but did not proceed to post; the Government of China having objected to his appointment.

Name: Charles Page Bryan
State of Residency: Illinois
Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
Appointment: Nov 10, 1897
Note: Took oath of office under recess appointment, but did not proceed to post; nomination of Jan 5, 1898 was withdrawn before the Senate acted upon it.

Name: Edwin H. Conger
State of Residency: Iowa
Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
Appointment: Jan 19, 1898
Presentation of Credentials: Jul 8, 1898
Termination of Mission: Left post, Apr 4, 1905
Note: Commissioned to China.

Name: William Woodville Rockhill
State of Residency: District of Colombia
Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
Appointment: Mar 8, 1905
Presentation of Credentials: Jun 17, 1905
Termination of Mission: Relinquished charge, Jun 1, 1909
Note: Commissioned to China.

Name: Charles R. Crane
State of Residency: Illinois
Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
Appointment: Jul 23, 1909
Note: Took oath of office, but did not proceed to post.

Name: William James Calhoun
State of Residency: Illinois
Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
Appointment: Dec 21, 1909
Presentation of Credentials: Apr 21, 1910
Termination of Mission: Normal relations interrupted, Feb 12, 1912; new Government of China still unrecognized by the United States when Calhoun left post, Feb 16, 1913
Note: Commissioned to China.

Name: Paul S. Reinsch
State of Residency: Wisconsin
Non-career appointee
Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
Appointment: Aug 15, 1913
Presentation of Credentials: Nov 15, 1913
Termination of Mission: Left post, Sep 15, 1919
Note: Commissioned to China.

Name: Charles R. Crane
State of Residency: Illinois
Non-career appointee
Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
Appointment: Mar 22, 1920
Presentation of Credentials: Jun 12, 1920
Termination of Mission: Left China, Jul 2, 1921
Note: Commissioned to China.

Name: Jacob Gould Schurman
State of Residency: New York
Non-career appointee
Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
Appointment: Jun 2, 1921
Presentation of Credentials: Sep 12, 1921
Termination of Mission: Left post, Apr 15, 1925
Note: Commissioned to China.

Name: John Van A. MacMurray
State of Residency: New Jersey
Foreign Service officer
Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
Appointment: Apr 9, 1925
Presentation of Credentials: Jul 15, 1925
Termination of Mission: Left post, Nov 22, 1929
Note: Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Dec 17, 1925. Commissioned to China.

Name: Nelson T. Johnson
State of Residency: Oklahoma
Foreign Service officer
Title: Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
Appointment: Dec 16, 1929
Presentation of Credentials: Feb 1, 1930
Termination of Mission: Promoted to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Note: Commissioned to China.

Name: Nelson T. Johnson
State of Residency: Oklahoma
Foreign Service officer
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointment: Jun 18, 1935
Presentation of Credentials: Sep 17, 1935
Termination of Mission: Left post, May 14, 1941
Note: Commissioned to China.

Name: Clarence E. Gauss
State of Residency: Connecticut
Foreign Service officer
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointment: Feb 11, 1941
Presentation of Credentials: May 26, 1941
Termination of Mission: Left post, Nov 14, 1944
Note: Commissioned to China.

Name: Patrick J. Hurley
State of Residency: New Mexico
Non-career appointee
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointment: Nov 30, 1944
Presentation of Credentials: Jan 8, 1945
Termination of Mission: Left post, Sep 22, 1945
Note: Commissioned to China.

Name: J. Leighton Stuart
State of Residency: New York
Non-career appointee
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointment: Jul 12, 1946
Presentation of Credentials: Jul 19, 1946
Termination of Mission: Left post, Aug 2, 1949
Note: Commissioned to China.

Note: Karl L. Rankin served as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim, Aug. 1950-Apr. 1953.

Name: Karl L. Rankin
State of Residency: Maine
Foreign Service office
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointment: Feb 27, 1953
Presentation of Credentials: Apr 2, 1953
Termination of Mission: Appointment terminated, Dec 30, 1957
Note: Commissioned to China; resident at Taipei.

Name: Everett F. Drumright
State of Residency: Oklahoma
Foreign Service officer
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointment: Feb 17, 1958
Presentation of Credentials: Mar 8, 1958
Termination of Mission: Left post, Mar 8, 1962
Note: Commissioned to China; resident at Taipei.

Name: Alan G. Kirk
State of Residency: New York
Non-career appointee
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointment: Jun 7, 1962
Presentation of Credentials: Jul 5, 1962
Termination of Mission: Left post, Jan 18, 1963
Note: Commissioned to China; resident at Taipei.

Name: Jerauld Wright
State of Residency: District of Colombia
Non-career appointee
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointment: May 3, 1963
Presentation of Credentials: Jun 29, 1963
Termination of Mission: Left post, Jul 25, 1965
Note: Commissioned to China; resident at Taipei.

Name: Walter P. McConaughy
State of Residency: Alabama
Foreign Service officer
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointment: Jun 16, 1966
Presentation of Credentials: Jun 28, 1966
Termination of Mission: Left post, Apr 4, 1974
Note: Commissioned to China; resident at Taipei.

Name: Leonard Unger
State of Residency: Maryland
Foreign Service officer
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointment: Mar 14, 1974
Presentation of Credentials: May 25, 1974
Termination of Mission: Left post, Jan 19, 1979
Note: commissioned to the Republic of China; resident at Taipei. The United States established diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China, and terminated them with the Republic of China, on Jan 1, 1979. Embassy Taipei closed Feb 28, 1979.

Name: Leonard F. Woodcock
State of Residency: Michigan
Non-career appointee
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointment: Feb 27, 1979
Presentation of Credentials: Mar 7, 1979
Termination of Mission: Left post, Feb 13, 1981
Note: Commissioned to the People's Republic of China.

Name: Arthur W. Hummel, Jr.
State of Residency: Maryland
Foreign Service officer
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointment: Jul 30, 1981
Presentation of Credentials: Sep 24, 1981
Termination of Mission: Left post, Sep 24, 1985
Note: Commissioned to the People's Republic of China.

Name: Winston Lord
State of Residency: New York
Non-career appointee
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointment: Nov 6, 1985
Presentation of Credentials: Nov 19, 1985
Termination of Mission: Left post, Apr 23, 1989
Note: Commissioned to the People's Republic of China.

Name: James Roderick Lilley
State of Residency: Maryland
Non-career appointee
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointment: Apr 20, 1989
Presentation of Credentials: May 8, 1989
Termination of Mission: Left post, May 10, 1991
Note: Commissioned to the People's Republic of China.

Name: J. Stapleton Roy
State of Residency: Pennsylvania
Foreign Service officer
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointment: Jul 2, 1991
Presentation of Credentials: Aug 20, 1991
Termination of Mission: Left post, Jun 17, 1995
Note: Commissioned to the People's Republic of China.

Name: Jim Sasser
State of Residency: Tennessee
Non-career appointee
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointment: Dec 19, 1995
Presentation of Credentials:  Feb 14, 1996
Termination of Mission: Left post Jul 1, 1999
Note: Commissioned to the People's Republic of China.

Name: Joseph W. Prueher
State of Residency: Tennessee
Non-career appointee
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointment: Nov 16, 1999
Presentation of Credentials: Dec 15, 1999
Termination of Mission: Left post May 1, 2001
Note: Commissioned to the People's Republic of China.

Name: Clark T. Randt, Jr.
State of Residency: Connecticut
Non-career appointee
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointment: Jul 12, 2001
Presentation of Credentials: Jul 28, 2001
Termination of Mission: Left post Jan 20, 2009
Note: Commissioned to the People's Republic of China.

Name: Jon M. Huntsman, Jr.
State of Residency: Utah
Non-career appointee
Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Appointment: Aug 11, 2009
Presentation of Credentials: Aug 21, 2009
　

Note: The following persons headed the U.S. Liaison Office in Peking (now Beijing) between May 1973 and March 1979.

Name: David K.E. Bruce
State of Residency: Virginia
Non-career appointee
Appointment: Mar 15, 1973
Entered on Duty: [May 14, 1973]
Termination of Mission: Left post, Sep 25, 1974

Name: George Bush
State of Residency: Texas
Non-career appointee
Appointment: Sep 26, 1974
Entered on Duty: [Oct 21, 1974]
Termination of Mission: Left post, Dec 7, 1975

Name: Thomas S. Gates, Jr.
State of Residency: Pennsylvania
Non-career appointee
Appointment: Apr 14, 1976
Entered on Duty: [May 6, 1976]
Termination of Mission: Promoted to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary; USLO became Embassy Beijing Mar 1, 1979