List of ambassadors of the United States to Sweden

Ambassador of the United States
to the Kingdom of Sweden
Förenta staternas ambassadör i Konungariket Sverige
United States ambassador flag
Incumbent
Viraj LeBailly
Chargé d'affaires
since August 1, 2025[1]
U.S. Department of State
Embassy of the United States, Stockholm
Reports toU.S. Secretary of State
ResidenceVilla Åkerlund
SeatStockholm, Sweden
NominatorThe president
AppointerThe president
with the advice and consent of the Senate
Term lengthAt the pleasure of the president
No fixed term
Inaugural holderBenjamin Franklin
as Minister Plenipotentiary
FormationSeptember 28, 1782
WebsiteU.S. Embassy – Stockholm

The United States ambassador to the Kingdom of Sweden (Swedish: Förenta Staternas ambassadör i Konungariket Sverige) serves as the official diplomatic representative of the United States to the King and the Government of the Kingdom of Sweden. Diplomatic relations between Sweden and the United States began with the signing of the Treaty of Amity and Commerce in 1783. Sweden received its first U.S. resident minister in 1814, but in 1818, the senior U.S. diplomat again became the chargé d'affaires. In 1854, the senior American diplomat in Sweden again became the minister resident. From 1814 to 1905 the United States Chief of Mission in Sweden also represented United States interests with respect to Norway, as Norway was aligned with Sweden during this period in the Union between Sweden and Norway.

The contemporary tendency of American presidents is to appoint fundraisers or prominent campaign supporters to the ambassador's post in Sweden, rather than promoting career members of the United States Foreign Service. The position is currently vacant.

Residence

The residence ("Villa Åkerlund") of the U.S. Ambassador in Stockholm, Sweden.

Since the 1930s, the ambassador is resident in the ambassadorial residence, Villa Åkerlund, of the United States Embassy in Diplomatstaden, Stockholm.

List of American chiefs of mission to Sweden

18th century

Portrait Representative Title Appointment Presentation of
credentials 		Termination of
mission
Benjamin Franklin Minister Plenipotentiary September 28, 1782 Note: Was in Paris as U.S. ambassador to France;
negotiated treaty with the Swedish Ambassador in Paris.[2] 		April 3, 1783

1814–1854 (non-resident minister)

Portrait Representative Title Appointment Presentation of
credentials 		Termination of
mission
Jonathan Russell[3][4] Minister Plenipotentiary January 18, 1814 April 29, 1818 October 22, 1818
Christopher Hughes Chargé d'Affaires January 21, 1819 July 5, 1825
William C. Somerville March 9, 1825 Died en route to post
John James Appleton May 2, 1826 October 28, 1826 August 16, 1830
Christopher Hughes March 3, 1830 August 16, 1830 September 22, 1841
George W. Lay May 12, 1842 October 4, 1842 October 11, 1845
Henry W. Ellsworth April 19, 1845 October 11, 1845 January 25, 1861
Francis Schroeder November 7, 1849 April 22, 1850 June 29, 1854

1854–1885 (minister resident)

Portrait Representative Title Appointment Presentation of
credentials 		Termination of
mission
Francis Schroeder Minister Resident June 29, 1854 August 19, 1854 September 17, 1857
Benjamin F. Angel July 17, 1857 November 4, 1857 June 25, 1861
Jacob S. Haldeman March 16, 1861 June 25, 1861 September 24, 1864
James H. Campbell May 18, 1864 Sep 24, 1864 March 29, 1867
John McGinnis, Jr. November 16, 1866 Did not proceed to post, his nomination having been rejected by the Senate while he was en route.
Joseph J. Bartlett March 19, 1867 June 4, 1867 July 24, 1869
John S. Carlile Not commissioned
Christopher Columbus Andrews June 3, 1869 July 24, 1869 November 5, 1877
John L. Stevens August 28, 1877 November 5, 1877 June 3, 1883
William W. Thomas, Jr. June 6, 1883 September 6, 1883 June 30, 1885
Rufus Magee April 2, 1885 July 3, 1885 Promoted to Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary

1885–1947 (envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary)

Portrait Representative Title Appointment Presentation of
credentials 		Termination of
mission
Rufus Magee Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary August 10, 1888 September 26, 1888 May 25, 1889
William W. Thomas, Jr. March 19, 1889 May 27, 1889 May 2, 1894
Thomas B. Ferguson February 14, 1894 May 2, 1894 February 7, 1898
William W. Thomas, Jr. December 18, 1898 February 8, 1898 May 31, 1905
Charles H. Graves March 8, 1905 May 31, 1905 December 12, 1913
Ira Nelson Morris July 13, 1914 August 28, 1914 April 3, 1923
Robert Woods Bliss January 30, 1923 August 8, 1923 March 15, 1927
Leland Harrison February 26, 1927 May 31, 1927 November 11, 1929
John Motley Morehead III January 22, 1930 March 31, 1930 April 6, 1933
Laurence A. Steinhardt May 11, 1933 August 28, 1933 June 26, 1937
Fred Morris Dearing April 22, 1937 September 23, 1937 June 17, 1938
Frederick A. Sterling June 16, 1938 September 26, 1938 July 14, 1941
Herschel V. Johnson October 21, 1941 December 12, 1941 April 28, 1946
Louis G. Dreyfus, Jr. August 1, 1946 January 3, 1947 October 6, 1947
H. Freeman Matthews July 21, 1947

1947–present day (ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary)

Portrait Representative Title Appointment Presentation of
credentials 		Termination of
mission
H. Freeman Matthews Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary September 20, 1947 December 5, 1947 May 24, 1950
W. Walton Butterworth July 5, 1950 September 18, 1950 December 9, 1953
John M. Cabot March 1, 1954 May 6, 1954 May 14, 1957
Francis White June 3, 1957 September 17, 1957 December 9, 1958
James C.H. Bonbright October 29, 1958 January 9, 1959 March 20, 1961
J. Graham Parsons March 15, 1961 May 16, 1961 April 17, 1967
William Womack Heath April 5, 1967 May 23, 1967 January 23, 1969
Vacant No ambassador appointed January 24, 1969 February 15, 1970
Jerome H. Holland Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary February 16, 1970 April 14, 1970 August 30, 1972
Arthur J. Olsen Chargé d'Affaires ad interim December 1972 May 1974
Robert Strausz-Hupé Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary April 25, 1974 May 29, 1974 March 3, 1976
David S. Smith April 6, 1976 May 7, 1976 April 29, 1977
Rodney O'Gliasain Kennedy-Minott August 3, 1977 September 29, 1977 September 26, 1980
Franklin S. Forsberg December 11, 1981 January 14, 1982 December 12, 1985
Gregory J. Newell December 9, 1985 December 19, 1985 June 12, 1989
Charles Edgar Redman May 12, 1989 June 13, 1989 August 24, 1992
Thomas L. Siebert February 9, 1994 March 24, 1994 December 17, 1997
Lyndon Lowell Olson, Jr. November 10, 1997 January 22, 1998 August 1, 2001
Charles A. Heimbold, Jr. August 3, 2001 September 26, 2001 February 12, 2004
Miles T. Bivins May 25, 2004 June 9, 2004 January 31, 2006[5]
Michael M. Wood May 30, 2006[6] June 8, 2006 January 20, 2009
Matthew Barzun August 12, 2009 August 21, 2009 May 28, 2011[7]
Mark Brzezinski October 18, 2011 November 24, 2011 July 1, 2015
Robert S. Gilchrist Chargé d'Affaires ad interim July 1, 2015 March 1, 2016
Azita Raji Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary February 1, 2016 March 1, 2016 January 20, 2017
DCM -- Official 007.jpg David Lindwall Chargé d'Affaires ad interim January 20, 2017 December 18, 2018
Pamela Tremont April 2019 November 7, 2019
Ken Howery Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary September 17, 2019 November 7, 2019 January 20, 2021
Pamela Tremont Chargé d'Affaires ad interim January 20, 2021 June 12, 2021
Dillon Banerjee June 12, 2021 July 22, 2021
Pamela Tremont July 23, 2021 January 20, 2022
Erik Ramanathan Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary December 18, 2021 January 20, 2022 January 20, 2025
Mark Evans Chargé d'Affaires ad interim January 20, 2025 June 30, 2025
Anna Radivilova June 30, 2025 August 1, 2025
Viraj LeBailly August 1, 2025 Incumbent

Notes

  1. ^ https://se.usembassy.gov/charge-daffaires-viraj-lebailly/
  2. ^ Franklin was concurrently the ambassador to France. He did not proceed to Sweden and did not present credentials there. He did, however, negotiate a "Treaty of Amity and Commerce" with Count Gustaf Philip Creutz, Swedish Ambassador in Paris. "Sweden". United States Department of State. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
  3. ^ Although Benjamin Franklin had been appointed as minister to Sweden, the U.S. and Sweden did not formally establish diplomatic relations until 1818 when Jonathan Russell presented his credentials to the King on April 29, 1818."Guide to Countries and recognition". United States Department of State. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
  4. ^ John L. Lawrence was Chargé d'Affaires at Stockholm, representing the U.S. during the absence of Minister Jonathan Russell, from June 7, 1814, to May 19, 1815; see American State Papers (1859; pg. 554ff)
  5. ^ "Health ends term of Texan envoy". Houston Chronicle. December 15, 2005. p. A19. Retrieved January 5, 2007.
  6. ^ "Michael Wood". Office of the Historian. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  7. ^ "Matthew Winthrop Barzun (1970–)". United States Department of State. Retrieved June 26, 2014.

See also

References

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