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Director General of the Foreign Service

Creation of this Position

Title: Director General of the Foreign Service
Name: Selden Chapin
State of Residency: District of Columbia
Foreign Service officer
Appointment: [Nov 13, 1946]
Termination of Appointment: Apr 30, 1947

Title: Director General of the Foreign Service
Name: Christian M. Ravndal
State of Residency: Iowa
Foreign service officer
Appointment: [May 1, 1947]
Termination of Appointment: Jun 23, 1949

Title: Director General of the Foreign Service
Name: Richard P. Butrick
State of Residency: New York
Foreign Service officer
Appointment: [Sep 7, 1949]
Termination of Appointment: Apr 1, 1952

Title: Director General of the Foreign Service
Name: Gerald A. Drew
State of Residency: California
Foreign Service officer
Appointment: [Mar 30, 1952]
Termination of Appointment: Oct 18, 1954

Title: Director General of the Foreign Service
Name: Rayomond A. Hare
State of Residency: West Virginia
Foreign Service officer
Appointment: [Oct 19, 1954]
Termination of Appointment: Aug 29, 1956

Title: Director General of the Foreign Service
Name: Joseph C. Satterthwaite
State of Residency: Michigan
Foreign Service officer
Appointment: [May 6, 1957]
Termination of Appointment: Sep 1, 1958

Title: Director General of the Foreign Service
Name: Waldemar J. Gallman
State of Residency: New York
Foreign Service officer
Appointment: [Nov 17, 1958]
Termination of Appointment: Jan 31, 1961

Title: Director General of the Foreign Service
Name: Tyler Thompson
State of Residency: Maine
Foreign Service officer
Appointment: [May 14, 1961]
Termination of Appointment: Feb 15, 1964

Title: Director General of the Foreign Service
Name: Joseph Palmer, II
State of Residency: California
Foreign Service officer
Appointment: [Feb 16, 1964]
Termination of Appointment: Apr 10, 1966

Title: Director General of the Foreign Service
Name: John M. Steeves
State of Residency: District of Columbia
Foreign Service officer
Appointment: [Aug 1, 1966]
Termination of Appointment: Jul 31, 1969

Title: Director General of the Foreign Service
Name: John H. Burns
State of Residency: Oklahoma
Foreign Service officer
Appointment: [Aug 1, 1969]
Termination of Appointment: Jun 15, 1971

Title: Director General of the Foreign Service
Name: William O. Hall
State of Residency: Oregon
Foreign Service officer
Appointment: [Jul 5, 1971]
Termination of Appointment: Sep 30, 1973

Title: Director General of the Foreign Service
Name: Nathaniel Davis
State of Residency: New Jersey
Foreign Service officer
Appointment: [Nov 13, 1973]
Termination of Appointment: Mar 17, 1975

Title: Director General of the Foreign Service
Name: Carol C. Laise
State of Residency: Vermont
Foreign Service officer
Appointment: [Apr 11, 1975]
Termination of Appointment: Dec 26, 1977
Note: Served concurrently as Director of Personnel from Nov 23, 1975.

Title: Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of the Bureau of Personnel
Name: Harry G. Barnes, Jr.
State of Residency: Maryland
Foreign Service officer
Appointment: [Dec 22, 1977]
Termination of Appointment: Feb 8, 1981

Title: Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of the Bureau of Personnel
Name: Joan M. Clark
State of Residency: New York
Foreign Service officer
Appointment: Jul 27, 1981
Termination of Appointment: Oct 24, 1983
Note: Date of commission; had been designated by the Secretary of State as Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of Personnel on Mar 4, 1981.

Title: Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of the Bureau of Personnel
Name: Alfred Leroy Atherton, Jr.
State of Residency: Florida
Foreign Service officer
Appointment: Nov 18, 1983
Entry on Duty: Dec 2, 1983
Termination of Appointment: Dec 28, 1984

Title: Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of the Bureau of Personnel
Name: George Southall Vest
State of Residency: Maryland
Foreign Service officer
Appointment: Jun 6, 1985
Entry on Duty: Jun 8, 1985
Termination of Appointment: May 3, 1989

Title: Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of the Bureau of Personnel
Name: Edward Joseph Perkins
State of Residency: Oregon
Foreign Service officer
Appointment: Sep 21, 1989
Entry on Duty: Sep 22, 1989
Termination of Appointment: May 7, 1992

Title: Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of the Bureau of Personnel
Name: Genta Hawkins Holmes
State of Residency: California
Foreign Service officer
Appointment: Aug 10, 1992
Entry on Duty: Sep 7, 1992
Termination of Appointment: Aug 18, 1995

Title: Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of the Bureau of Personnel
Name: Anthony C. E. Quainton
State of Residency: District of Columbia
Foreign Service officer
Appointment: Dec 28, 1995
Entry on Duty: Dec 29, 1995
Termination of Appointment: Aug 22, 1997

Title: Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of the Bureau of Personnel
Name: Edward William Gnehm
State of Residency: Georgia
Foreign Service officer
Appointment: Aug 1, 1997
Entry on Duty: Aug 25, 1997
Termination of Appointment:

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Creation of Position: Congress created the position of Director General of the Foreign Service in the Foreign Service Act of 1946 (P.L. 79-726; 60 Stat. 1000). Between 1946 and 1980, the Secretary of State designated the Directors General, who held rank equivalent to an Assistant Secretary of State. The Director General became a Presidential appointee, subject to the advice and consent of the Senate, under the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (Oct 17, 1980; P.L. 96-465; 94 Stat. 2071). Since Nov 23, 1975, under a Departmental administrative action, they have concurrently held the title of Director of the Bureau of Personnel.

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