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Great Seal

Director of the Policy Planning Staff

Creation of this Position

Title: Director of the Policy Planning Staff
Name: George F. Kennan
State of Residency: Wisconsin
Foreign Service officer
Appointment: [May 5, 1947]
Termination of Appointment: May 31, 1949
Note: Also served as Counselor Aug 4, 1949-Jul 11, 1951.

Title: Director of the Policy Planning Staff
Name: Paul H. Nitze
State of Residency: District of Columbia
Non-career appointee
Appointment: [Jan 1, 1950]
Termination of Appointment: May 28, 1953

Title: Director of the Policy Planning Staff
Name: Robert R. Bowie
State of Residency: Massachusetts
Non-career appointee
Appointment: [May 28, 1953]
Termination of Appointment: Aug 2, 1957
Note: Received rank equivalent to an Assistant Secretary on Nov 17, 1954.

Title: Director of the Policy Planning Staff
Name: Robert R. Bowie
State of Residency: Massachusetts
Non-career appointee
Appointment: Aug 10, 1955
Entry on Duty: Aug 10, 1955
Termination of Appointment: Aug 31, 1957
Note: Commissioned as Assistant Secretary of State for Policy Planning; recommissioned after Senate confirmation on Feb 17, 1956.

Title: Director of the Policy Planning Staff
Name: Gerard C. Smith
State of Residency: District of Columbia
Non-career appointee
Appointment: Sep 6, 1957
Entry on Duty: Oct 18, 1957
Termination of Appointment: Jan 20, 1961
Note: A nomination of Aug 28, 1959, was not confirmed by the Senate. Commissioned as Assistant Secretary of State for Policy Planning. Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Jan 27, 1958.

Title: Director of the Policy Planning Staff
Name: George C. McGhee
State of Residency: Texas
Non-career appointee
Appointment: Feb 13, 1961
Termination of Appointment: Nov 29, 1961
Note: Commissioned as Counselor; served as Chairman of the Policy Planning Council.

Title: Director of the Policy Planning Staff
Name: Walt Whitman Rostow
State of Residency: Massachusetts
Non-career appointee
Appointment: Nov 29, 1961
Termination of Appointment: Mar 31, 1966
Note: Commissioned as Counselor; served as Chairman of the Policy Planning Council.

Title: Director of the Policy Planning Staff
Name: Henry David Owen
State of Residency: District of Columbia
Foreign Service officer
Appointment: [Jun 19, 1966]
Termination of Appointment: Feb 8, 1969
Note: Chairman of the Policy Planning Council, with rank equivalent to an Assistant Secretary of State.

Title: Director of the Policy Planning Staff
Name: William I. Cargo
State of Residency: Florida
Foreign Service officer
Appointment: [Aug 4, 1969]
Termination of Appointment: Jul 30, 1973
Note: Held the title of Director of the Planning and Coordination Staff, with rank equivalent to an Assistant Secretary of State.

Title: Director of the Policy Planning Staff
Name: James S. Sutterlin
State of Residency: District of Columbia
Foreign Service officer
Appointment: [Sep 4, 1973]
Termination of Appointment: Oct 15, 1973
Note: Held the title of Director of the Planning and Coordination Staff, with rank equivalent to an Assistant Secretary of State.

Title: Director of the Policy Planning Staff
Name: Winston Lord
State of Residency: District of Columbia
Foreign Service officer
Appointment: [Oct 12, 1973]
Termination of Appointment: Jan 20, 1977
Note: Originally designated Director of the Planning and Coordination Staff; Director of the Policy Planning Staff from Feb 27, 1974.

Title: Director of the Policy Planning Staff
Name: W. Anthony Lake
State of Residency: District of Columbia
Non-career appointee
Appointment: [Jan 21, 1977]
Termination of Appointment: Jan 20, 1981
Note: Held the title of Director of the Policy Planning Staff.

Title: Director of the Policy Planning Staff
Name: Paul D. Wolfowitz
State of Residency: District of Columbia
Non-career appointee
Appointment: [Feb 13, 1981]
Termination of Appointment: Dec 22, 1982
Note: Held the title of Director of the Policy Planning Staff.

Title: Director of the Policy Planning Staff
Name: Stephen W. Bosworth
State of Residency: Michigan
Foreign Service officer
Appointment: [Jan 3, 1983]
Termination of Appointment: Apr 7, 1984
Note: Held the title of Chairman, Policy Planning Council.

Title: Director of the Policy Planning Staff
Name: Peter W. Rodman
State of Residency: District of Columbia
Non-career appointee
Appointment: [Apr 9, 1984]
Termination of Appointment: Mar 3, 1986
Note: Held the title of Chairman, Policy Planning Council. Designated Chairman, Policy Planning Staff, from May 7, 1985.

Title: Director of the Policy Planning Staff
Name: Richard H. Solomon
State of Residency: California
Non-career appointee
Appointment: [Mar 3, 1986]
Termination of Appointment: Jan 21, 1989

Title: Director of the Policy Planning Staff
Name: Dennis B. Ross
State of Residency: Maryland
Non-career appointee
Appointment: [Jan 21, 1989]
Termination of Appointment: Aug 23, 1992

Title: Director of the Policy Planning Staff
Name: Samuel W Lewis
State of Residency: Texas
Non-career appointee
Appointment: [Mar 21, 1993]
Termination of Appointment: Jan 21, 1994

Title: Director of the Policy Planning Staff
Name: James W. Steinberg
State of Residency: Massachusetts
Non-career appointee
Appointment: [Mar 21, 1994]
Termination of Appointment: Dec 23, 1996

Title: Director of the Policy Planning Staff
Name: Gregory B. Craig
State of Residency:
Non-career appointee
Appointment: Jul 10, 1997
Termination of Appointment:

Creation of Position: The Secretary of State established a Policy Planning Staff, with a Director who held rank equivalent to an Assistant Secretary of State, on May 5, 1947. Between 1955 and 1961, the head of the Policy Planning function served as Assistant Secretary of State for Policy Planning, one of ten Assistant Secretaries authorized by Congress in the Department of State Organization Act of Aug 5, 1955 (P.L. 84-250; 69 Stat. 536). From 1961 to 1966, the Counselor of the Department served as Chairman of the Policy Planning Council. Since 1966, the Secretary of State has designated the head of the Policy Planning function under several different titles at a rank equivalent to an Assistant Secretary of State.

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