List of United States permanent representatives to NATO
The United States Permanent Representative to NATO (commonly called the U.S. Ambassador to NATO) is the official representative of the United States to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
| Permanent Representative of the United States to NATO | |
|---|---|
 Seal of the United States Department of State | |
| Nominator | The president of the United States |
| Appointer | The president of the United States with Senate advice and consent |
| Inaugural holder | William H. Draper Jr. as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary |
| Formation | April 8, 1953 |
| Website | U.S. Mission - NATO |
Background
The Representative has the rank of full ambassador and is appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. The full official title of the Representative is United States Permanent Representative on the Council of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, with the rank and status of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.
The first Representative was appointed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953.
List
| Image | Ambassador | Dates served |
|---|---|---|
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William Henry Draper, Jr. | April 8, 1953 – June 13, 1953 |
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John Chambers Hughes | June 12, 1953 – April 20, 1955 |
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George Walbridge Perkins, Jr. | March 14, 1955 – October 12, 1957 |
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Warren Randolph Burgess | September 21, 1957 – March 23, 1961 |
| 75px | Thomas K. Finletter | March 2, 1961 – September 2, 1965 |
| 75px | Harlan Cleveland | September 1, 1965 – June 11, 1969 |
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Robert Ellsworth | May 13, 1969 – June 30, 1971 |
| 75px | David M. Kennedy | March 17, 1972 – February 1, 1973 |
| 75px | Donald Rumsfeld | February 2, 1973 – December 5, 1974 |
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David K. E. Bruce | October 17, 1974 – February 12, 1976 |
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Robert Strausz-Hupé | March 3, 1976 – April 20, 1977 |
| 75px | William Tapley Bennett Jr. | April 26, 1977 – March 31, 1983 |
| 75px | David Manker Abshire | July 13, 1983 – January 5, 1987 |
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Alton G. Keel, Jr. | March 13, 1987 – June 17, 1989 |
| 75px | William Howard Taft IV | August 3, 1989 – June 26, 1992 |
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Reginald Bartholomew | June 15, 1992 – March 25, 1993 |
| 75px | Robert E. Hunter | July 1, 1993 – January 1, 1998 |
| 75px | Alexander Vershbow | November 10, 1997 – July 9, 2001 |
| 75px | R. Nicholas Burns | August 7, 2001 – March 7, 2005 |
| 75px | Victoria Nuland | July 13, 2005 – May 2, 2008 |
| 75px | Kurt Volker | July 2, 2008 – May 15, 2009 |
| 75px | Ivo Daalder | May 15, 2009 – September 2, 2013 |
| 75px | Douglas Lute | September 3, 2013 – January 20, 2017 |
| 75px | Kay Bailey Hutchison | August 28, 2017 – January 20, 2021 |
| 75px | Julianne Smith | December 6, 2021 – October 23, 2024 |
| File:United States Ambassador to NATO Matthew George Whitaker.jpg | Matthew Whitaker | April 3, 2025 – present |
List Of United States Permanent Representatives To NATO Media
Robert F. Ellsworth, Kansas Congressman and U.S. Ambassador.
David M. Kennedy
ST-C144-42-62. President John F. Kennedy Speaks at Arrival Ceremonies for Prime Minister of Great Britain, Harold Macmillan
