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Assistant Secretary of State for European and Canadian Affairs

Creation of this Position

Title: Assistant Secretary of State for European and Canadian Affairs
Name: George W. Perkins
State of Residency: New York
Non-career appointee
Appointment: Jun 24, 1949
Entry on Duty: Aug 1, 1949
Termination of Appointment: Jan 31, 1953

Title: Assistant Secretary of State for European and Canadian Affairs
Name: Livingston T. Merchant
State of Residency: New Jersey
Foreign Service officer
Appointment: Mar 11, 1953
Entry on Duty: Mar 16, 1953
Termination of Appointment: May 6, 1956

Title: Assistant Secretary of State for European and Canadian Affairs
Name: James W. Riddleberger
State of Residency: Virginia
Foreign Service officer
Appointment: Oct 15, 1956
Note: Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; declined appointment.

Title: Assistant Secretary of State for European and Canadian Affairs
Name: C. Burke Elbrick
State of Residency: Kentucky
Foreign Service officer
Appointment: Feb 11, 1957
Entry on Duty: Feb 14, 1957
Termination of Appointment: Nov 16, 1958

Title: Assistant Secretary of State for European and Canadian Affairs
Name: Livingston T. Merchant
State of Residency: District of Columbia
Foreign Service officer
Appointment: Oct 29, 1953
Entry on Duty: Nov 18, 1958
Termination of Appointment: Aug 20, 1959
Note: Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Jan 29, 1959.

Title: Assistant Secretary of State for European and Canadian Affairs
Name: Walter C. Dowling
State of Residency: Georgia
Foreign Service officer
Appointment: Aug 26, 1959
Entry on Duty:
Termination of Appointment:
Note: Did not take oath of office under this appointment.

Title: Assistant Secretary of State for European and Canadian Affairs
Name: Foy D. Kohler
State of Residency: Ohio
Foreign Service officer
Appointment: Dec 11, 1959
Entry on Duty: Dec 11, 1959
Termination of Appointment: Aug 19, 1962
Note: Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Jan 27, 1960.

Title: Assistant Secretary of State for European and Canadian Affairs
Name: William R. Tyler
State of Residency: District of Columbia
Foreign Service officer
Appointment: Aug 20, 1962
Entry on Duty: Sep 2, 1962
Termination of Appointment: May 18, 1965

Title: Assistant Secretary of State for European and Canadian Affairs
Name: John M. Leddy
State of Residency: Virginia
Non-career appointee
Appointment: Jun 4, 1965
Entry on Duty: Jun 16, 1965
Termination of Appointment: Feb 19, 1969

Title: Assistant Secretary of State for European and Canadian Affairs
Name: Martin J. Hillenbrand
State of Residency: Illinois
Foreign Service officer
Appointment: Feb 7, 1969
Entry on Duty: Feb 20, 1969
Termination of Appointment: Apr 30, 1972

Title: Assistant Secretary of State for European and Canadian Affairs
Name: Walter J. Stoessel, Jr.
State of Residency: California
Foreign Service officer
Appointment: Jul 25, 1972
Entry on Duty: Aug 9, 1972
Termination of Appointment: Jan 7, 1974

Title: Assistant Secretary of State for European and Canadian Affairs
Name: Arthur A. Hartman
State of Residency: New Jersey
Foreign Service officer
Appointment: Dec 19, 1973
Entry on Duty: Jan 8, 1974
Termination of Appointment: Jun 8, 1977

Title: Assistant Secretary of State for European and Canadian Affairs
Name: George S. Vest
State of Residency: Maryland
Foreign Service officer
Appointment: May 26, 1977
Entry on Duty: Jun 16, 1977
Termination of Appointment: Apr 14, 1981

Title: Assistant Secretary of State for European and Canadian Affairs
Name: Lawrence S. Eagleburger
State of Residency: Florida
Foreign Service officer
Appointment: May 14, 1981
Entry on Duty: May 14, 1981
Termination of Appointment: Jan 26, 1982

Title: Assistant Secretary of State for European and Canadian Affairs
Name: Richard R. Burt
State of Residency: District of Columbia
Non-career appointee
Appointment: Feb 17, 1983
Entry on Duty: Feb 18, 1983
Termination of Appointment: July 18, 1985
Note: An earlier nomination of May 10, 1982, was not acted upon by the Senate.

Title: Assistant Secretary of State for European and Canadian Affairs
Name: Rozanne L. Ridgway
State of Residency: District of Columbia
Foreign Service officer
Appointment: Jul 18, 1985
Entry on Duty: Jul 19, 1985
Termination of Appointment: June 30, 1985

Title: Assistant Secretary of State for European and Canadian Affairs
Name: Raymond G. H. Seitz
State of Residency: Texas
Foreign Service officer
Appointment: Aug 7, 1989
Entry on Duty: Aug 8, 1989
Termination of Appointment: Apr 30, 1991

Title: Assistant Secretary of State for European and Canadian Affairs
Name: Thomas Michael Tolliver Niles
State of Residency: District of Columbia
Foreign Service officer
Appointment: Oct 3, 1991
Entry on Duty: Oct 3, 1991
Termination of Appointment: Apr 1, 1993

Title: Assistant Secretary of State for European and Canadian Affairs
Name: Stephen A. Oxman
State of Residency: New Jersey
Non-career appointee
Appointment: Apr 1, 1993
Entry on Duty: Apr 2, 1993
Termination of Appointment: Aug 15, 1994

Title: Assistant Secretary of State for European and Canadian Affairs
Name: Richard G. Holbrooke
State of Residency: New York
Non-career appointee
Appointment: Aug 26, 1994
Entry on Duty: Sep 13, 1994
Termination of Appointment: Feb 21, 1996

Title: Assistant Secretary of State for European and Canadian Affairs
Name: John Christian Kornblum
State of Residency: Michigan
Foreign Service officer
Appointment: Jul 2, 1996
Entry on Duty: Jul 3, 1996
Termination of Appointment: Aug 1, 1997

Title: Assistant Secretary of State for European and Canadian Affairs
Name: Marc Grossman
State of Residency: Virginia
Foreign Service officer
Appointment: Aug 1, 1997
Entry on Duty: Aug 5, 1997
Termination of Appointment:

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Creation of Position: The Department of State established the position of Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs in 1949, after the Commission on Organization of the Executive Branch of Government (Hoover Commission) recommended that certain offices be upgraded to bureau level and after Congress had increased the number of Assistant Secretaries of State from six to ten (May 26, 1949; P.L. 81-73; 63 Stat. 111). An administrative action changed the incumbent's designation to Assistant Secretary for European and Canadian Affairs on Sep 15, 1983. The Department of State first established a Division of Western European Affairs in 1909, which handled European nations primarily bordering on the Atlantic Ocean and their colonies. The Division of Near Eastern Affairs handled relations with most Central, Eastern, and Southern European countries until after World War I. During the interwar period, responsibility for much of Central and Eastern Europe shifted to the Division of European Affairs, although Greece, Turkey, and Cyprus were handled as part of the Near East until Apr 18, 1974. Following World War II, the Department completed the transfer of responsibility for the former colonies of European nations, except Canada, to the Bureau of Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs and the Bureau of Far Eastern Affairs.

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