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Chief of Protocol

Creation of this Position

Title: Chief of Protocol
Name: Stanley Woodward
State of Residency: Pennsylvania
Foreign Service officer
Appointment: Jul 15, 1946
Entry on Duty: Jul 15, 1946
Termination of Appointment: May 22, 1950

Title: Chief of Protocol
Name: John F. Simmons
State of Residency: New York
Foreign Service officer
Appointment: Jul 21, 1950
Entry on Duty: Aug 18, 1950
Termination of Appointment: Jan 31, 1957

Title: Chief of Protocol
Name: Wiley T. Buchanan
State of Residency: District of Columbia
Non-career appointee
Appointment: Feb 4, 1957
Entry on Duty: Feb 4, 1957
Termination of Appointment: Jan 23, 1961

Title: Chief of Protocol
Name: Angier Biddle Duke
State of Residency: New York
Non-career appointee
Appointment: Jan 24, 1961
Entry on Duty: Jan 24, 1961
Termination of Appointment: Jan 20, 1965

Title: Chief of Protocol
Name: Lloyd Nelson Hand
State of Residency: California
Non-career appointee
Appointment: Jan 21, 1965
Entry on Duty: Jan 21, 1965
Termination of Appointment: Mar 21, 1966

Title: Chief of Protocol
Name: James W. Symington
State of Residency: Missouri
Non-career appointee
Appointment: Mar 22, 1966
Entry on Duty: Mar 22, 1966
Termination of Appointment: Mar 31, 1968

Title: Chief of Protocol
Name: Angier Biddle Duke
State of Residency: New York
Non-career appointee
Appointment: Mar 26, 1968
Entry on Duty: Apr 1, 1968
Termination of Appointment: Sep 26, 1968

Title: Chief of Protocol
Name: Tyler Abell
State of Residency: District of Columbia
Non-career appointee
Appointment: Sep 25, 1968
Entry on Duty: Sep 30, 1968
Termination of Appointment: Jan 20, 1969

Title: Chief of Protocol
Name: Emil Mosbacher, Jr.
State of Residency: New York
Non-career appointee
Appointment: Jan 28, 1969
Entry on Duty: [see note below]
Termination of Appointment: Jun 30, 1972
Note: Had been serving since Jan 21, 1969, under an appointment by the Secretary of State.

Title: Chief of Protocol
Name: Marion H. Smoak
State of Residency: South Carolina
Non-career appointee
Appointment: Mar 1, 1974
Entry on Duty: [see note below]
Termination of Appointment: Mar 30, 1974
Note: Took oath of office Mar 29, 1974, as Chief of Protocol for the White House, but no personnel action was processed to reflect this appointment; resignation effective Mar 30, 1974,was processed as a resignation of the office of Deputy Chiefs of Protocol. Smoak had previously been accorded the rank of Ambassador while serving as Acting Chief.

Title: Chief of Protocol
Name: Henry E. Catto, Jr.
State of Residency: Texas
Non-career appointee
Appointment: Apr 2, 1974
Entry on Duty: Apr 3, 1974
Termination of Appointment: Jul 1, 1976

Title: Chief of Protocol
Name: Shirley Temple Black
State of Residency: California
Non-career appointee
Appointment: Jul 1, 1976
Entry on Duty: Jul 1, 1976
Termination of Appointment: Jan 21, 1977

Title: Chief of Protocol
Name: Evan S. Dobelle
State of Residency: Massachusetts
Non-career appointee
Appointment: Feb 9, 1977
Entry on Duty: Mar 2, 1977
Termination of Appointment: May 22, 1978

Title: Chief of Protocol
Name: Edith H.J. Dobelle
State of Residency: Massachusetts
Non-career appointee
Appointment: Aug 17, 1978
Entry on Duty: Nov 3, 1978
Termination of Appointment: Sep 26, 1979

Title: Chief of Protocol
Name: Abelardo L. Valdez
State of Residency: Texas
Non-career appointee
Appointment: Oct 12, 1979
Entry on Duty: Oct 19, 1979
Termination of Appointment: Jan 21, 1981

Title: Chief of Protocol
Name: Leonore Annenberg
State of Residency: Pennsylvania
Non-career appointee
Appointment: Mar 16, 1981
Entry on Duty: Mar 20, 1981
Termination of Appointment: Jan 6, 1982

Title: Chief of Protocol
Name: Selwa Roosevelt
State of Residency: District of Columbia
Non-career appointee
Appointment: May 11, 1982
Entry on Duty: Apr 16, 1982
Termination of Appointment: Jan 20, 1989

Title: Chief of Protocol
Name: Joseph Verner Reed, Jr.
State of Residency: Connecticut
Non-career appointee
Appointment: Jun 23, 1989
Entry on Duty: May 21, 1989
Termination of Appointment: Oct 21, 1991
Note: Date of commission; appointed by the Secretary of State on Feb 3, 1989.

Title: Chief of Protocol
Name: John Gifford Weinmann
State of Residency: Louisiana
Non-career appointee
Appointment: Nov 21, 1991
Entry on Duty: Oct 31, 1991
Termination of Appointment: Jan 20, 1993
Note: Designated by the Secretary of State on this date.

Title: Chief of Protocol
Name: Mary M. Raiser
State of Residency: District of Columbia
Non-career appointee
Appointment: Aug 2, 1993
Entry on Duty: Sep 14, 1993
Termination of Appointment: Jul 24, 1997

Title: Chief of Protocol
Name: Mary Mel French
State of Residency: District of Columbia
Non-career appointee
Appointment: Nov 10, 1997
Entry on Duty: Nov 13, 1997
Termination of Appointment:

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Creation of Position: Since 1946, the President has commissioned the head of the Department of State's protocol staff as the "Chief of Protocol for the White House." In 1916, the Department of State appointed the first U.S. official to be concerned on a full-time basis with protocol, which is the diplomatic procedure governed by law or international custom and practice. The Department first established a Division of Protocol on Feb 4, 1928. All incumbents since 1961 have held the rank of Ambassador. The Protocol Office has been part of the Office of the Secretary of State since July 12, 1965. The Chief of Protocol serves as the protocol officer for the U.S. Government and advises the President, the Vice President, the Secretary of State, and other high-ranking officials on this subject.

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