List of ambassadors of the United States to Spain

Ambassador of the United States of America to Spain
Embajadora de los Estados Unidos de America en España
Seal of the United States Department of State
Flag of a United States ambassador
Incumbent
Benjamin Leon
since February 18, 2026[1]
Reports toUnited States Secretary of State
NominatorThe president of the United States
AppointerThe president
with Senate advice and consent
Inaugural holderJohn Jay
as Minister Plenipotentiary
FormationSeptember 29, 1779
WebsiteU.S. Embassy - Madrid

This is a list of United States ambassadors to Spain from 1779 to the present day. The ambassador to Spain is also credentialed to Andorra.

Chiefs of mission

  Denotes chargé d’affaires ad interim
# Name Image Type of appointee Title Appointment Presentation of credentials Termination of mission President(s)
- William Carmichael Chargé d'Affaires Apr 20, 1790 No report has been found concerning Carmichael's presentation of credentials as Chargé d'Affaires en titre; he had already been received as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim, May 20, 1782. Presented recall Sep 5, 1794 George Washington
(Unaffiliated)
1 William Short Minister Resident May 28, 1794 Sep 7, 1794 Left post, Nov 1, 1795
2 David Humphreys Minister Plenipotentiary May 20, 1796 Sep 10, 1797 Probably presented recall soon after December 28, 1801 John Adams
(Federalist)
Thomas Jefferson
(Democratic-Republican)
3 Charles Pinckney Jun 6, 1801[2] January–March 1802 Presented recall, Oct 25, 1804
- George W. Erving Chargé d'Affaires ad interim Oct 1805 Feb 1810
James Madison
(Democratic-Republican)
4 Minister Plenipotentiary Aug 10, 1814[3] Aug 24, 1816 Left post, May 15, 1819
James Monroe
(Democratic-Republican)
5 John Forsyth Feb 16, 1819 May 18, 1819 Had farewell audience, Mar 2, 1823
6 Hugh Nelson Jan 15, 1823 Dec 4, 1823 Presented recall Jul 10, 1825
John Quincy Adams
(Democratic-Republican)
7 Alexander Hill Everett Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Mar 9, 1825 Sep 4, 1825 Left post Aug 1, 1829
Andrew Jackson
(Democratic)
8 Cornelius P. Van Ness Jun 1, 1829[4] Dec 9, 1829 Presented recall, Dec 21, 1836
9 John H. Eaton Mar 16, 1836 No report has been found of Eaton's presentation of credentials, which probably took place about February 1, 1837 Left post, May 1, 1840
Martin Van Buren
(Democratic)
- Aaron Vail Chargé d'Affaires May 20, 1840 Nov 5, 1840 Superseded, Aug 1, 1842
William Henry Harrison
(Whig)
John Tyler
(Whig/Unaffiliated)
10 Washington Irving Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Feb 10, 1842 Aug 1, 1842 Presented recall, Jul 29, 1846
James K. Polk
(Democratic)
11 Romulus M. Saunders Feb 25, 1846 Jul 31, 1846 Presented recall, Sep 24, 1849
Zachary Taylor
(Whig)
12 Daniel M. Barringer Jun 18, 1849[5] October 24, 1849 Presented recall Sep 4, 1853
Millard Fillmore
(Whig)
Franklin Pierce
(Democratic)
13 Pierre Soule Apr 7, 1853 Oct 24, 1853 Presented recall, Feb 1, 1855
14 Angus C. Dodge Feb 9, 1855 Jun 17, 1855 Presented recall, Mar 12, 1859
James Buchanan
(Democratic)
15 William Preston Dec 15, 1858 Mar 12, 1859 Presented recall, May 24, 1861
Abraham Lincoln
(Republican)
16 Carl Schurz Mar 28, 1861 Jul 13, 1861 Left post, Dec 18, 1861
17 Gustavus Koerner Jun 14, 1862 Nov 4, 1862 Left post, Jul 20, 1864
18 John P. Hale Mar 10, 1865 Sep 30, 1865 Presented recall, Jul 29, 1869 Andrew Johnson
(National Union/Democratic)
Ulysses S. Grant
(Republican)
19 Daniel E. Sickles May 15, 1869[6] July 29, 1869 Presented new credentials on Feb 2, 1871, after change of government; transmitted recall by note Jan 31, 1874
20 Caleb Cushing Jan 6, 1874 May 30, 1874 Presented new credentials on Mar 10, 1875, after restoration of monarchy; left post, Apr 9, 1877
Rutherford B. Hayes
(Republican)
21 James Russell Lowell Jun 11, 1877[7] Aug 18, 1877 Presented recall, Mar 2, 1880
22 Lucius Fairchild Jan 26, 1880 Mar 31, 1880 Presented recall, Dec 20, 1881
James A. Garfield
(Republican)
Chester A. Arthur
(Republican)
23 Hannibal Hamlin Jun 30, 1881[8] Dec 20, 1881 Left post, Oct 17, 1882
24 John W. Foster Feb 27, 1883 Jun 16, 1883 Presented recall, Aug 28, 1885
Grover Cleveland
(Democratic)
25 Jabez L.M. Curry Oct 7, 1885[9] Dec 22, 1885 Left post, Jul 5, 1888
26 Perry Belmont Nov 17, 1888[10] Feb 13, 1889 Left post, May 1, 1889
Benjamin Harrison
(Republican)
27 Thomas W. Palmer Mar 12, 1889 Jun 17, 1889 Left post, Apr 19, 1890
28 E. Burd Grubb Sep 27, 1890 Dec 23, 1890 Left post, May 26, 1892
29 A. Loudon Snowden Jul 22, 1892 Oct 6, 1892 Presented recall, Jun 3, 1893
Grover Cleveland
(Democratic)
30 Hannis Taylor Apr 8, 1893 Jul 1, 1893 Presented recall, Sep 13, 1897
William McKinley
(Republican)
31 Stewart L. Woodford Jun 19, 1897 Sep 13, 1897 Spain severed diplomatic relations with the U.S., Apr 21, 1898[11]
32 Bellamy Storer Apr 12, 1899[12] Jun 16, 1899 Presented recall, Dec 10, 1902
Theodore Roosevelt
(Republican)
33 Arthur S. Hardy Sep 26, 1902[13] Mar 2, 1903 Presented recall, May 1, 1905
34 William Miller Collier Mar 8, 1905 May 15, 1905 Superseded, Jun 9, 1909
William Howard Taft
(Republican)
35 Henry Clay Ide Apr 1, 1909 Jun 9, 1909 Left post, Jul 8, 1913
Woodrow Wilson
(Democratic)
36 Joseph E. Willard Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Sep 10, 1913 Oct 31, 1913 Left post, Jul 7, 1921
Warren G. Harding
(Republican)
37 Cyrus E. Woods Jun 24, 1921 Oct 14, 1921 Left post, Apr 18, 1923
38 Alexander P. Moore Mar 3, 1923 May 16, 1923 Left post, Dec 20, 1925
Calvin Coolidge
(Republican)
39 Ogden H. Hammond Dec 21, 1925 Mar 26, 1926 Left post, Oct 13, 1929
Herbert Hoover
(Republican)
40 Irwin B. Laughlin Foreign Service officer Oct 16, 1929 Dec 24, 1929 Left post, Apr 12, 1933
Franklin D. Roosevelt
(Democratic)
41 Claude G. Bowers Non-career appointee Apr 6, 1933 Jun 1, 1933 Had final interview, Feb 2, 1939[14]
- H. Freeman Matthews Career Foreign Service Officer Chargé d'Affaires ad interim Apr 13, 1939
42 Alexander W. Weddell Foreign Service officer Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary May 3, 1939 Jun 15, 1939 Left post, Feb 7, 1942
43 Carlton J. H. Hayes Non-career appointee May 2, 1942 Jun 9, 1942 Left Spain, Jan 18, 1945
44 Norman Armour Foreign Service officer Dec 15, 1944 Mar 24, 1945 Left post, Dec 1, 1945
Harry S. Truman
(Democratic)
- Philip W. Bonsal Career Foreign Service Officer Chargé d'Affaires ad interim Mar 1946 Jun 1947
- Paul T. Culbertson Jun 1947 Dec 1950
45 Stanton Griffis Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Feb 1, 1951 Mar 1, 1951 Relinquished charge, Jan 28, 1952
46 Lincoln MacVeagh Feb 21, 1952 Mar 27, 1952 Left post, Mar 4, 1953
Dwight D. Eisenhower
(Republican)
47 James Clement Dunn Foreign Service officer Feb 27, 1953 Apr 9, 1953 Left post, Feb 9, 1955
48 John Lodge Non-career appointee Jan 22, 1955 Mar 24, 1955 Left post, Apr 13, 1961
John F. Kennedy
(Democratic)
49 Anthony J. Drexel Biddle, Jr. Mar 29, 1961 May 25, 1961 Left Spain, Oct 12, 1961
50 Robert F. Woodward Foreign Service officer Apr 7, 1962 May 10, 1962 Left post, Feb 1, 1965
Lyndon B. Johnson
(Democratic)
51 Angier Biddle Duke Non-career appointee Mar 11, 1965 Apr 1, 1965 Left post Mar 30, 1968
52 Robert F. Wagner Jun 24, 1968 Jul 4, 1968 Left post, Mar 7, 1969
Richard Nixon
(Republican)
53 Robert C. Hill May 1, 1969 Jun 12, 1969 Left post, Jun 12, 1972
54 Horacio Rivero Jr. Sep 11, 1972 Oct 11, 1972 Left post, Nov 26, 1974
Gerald Ford
(Republican)
55 Wells Stabler Foreign Service officer Feb 20, 1975 Mar 13, 1975 Left post, May 4, 1978
Jimmy Carter
(Democratic)
56 Terence A. Todman May 25, 1978 Jul 20, 1978 Left post, Aug 8, 1983
Ronald Reagan
(Republican)
57 Thomas Ostrom Enders Aug 5, 1983 Sep 15, 1983 Left post Jul 6, 1986
58 Reginald Bartholomew Aug 18, 1986 Sep 17, 1986 Left post, Mar 12, 1989
George H. W. Bush
(Republican)
59 Joseph Zappala Non-career appointee Oct 10, 1989 Oct 16, 1989 Left post, Jun 4, 1992
60 Richard Goodwin Capen, Jr. Jun 15, 1992 Jul 8, 1992 Left post, Feb 17, 1993
Bill Clinton
(Democratic)
61 Richard N. Gardner Sep 16, 1993 Nov 4, 1993 Left post, Jul 12, 1997
62 Edward L. Romero Apr 2, 1998 Jun 30, 1998 Left post, May 1, 2001
George W. Bush
(Republican)
63 George L. Argyros Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary[15] Nov 21, 2001 Dec 13, 2001 Left post, Nov 21, 2004
64 Eduardo Aguirre Jun 21, 2005 Jun 29, 2005 Jan 20, 2009
65 Alan Solomont Dec 29, 2009 Jan 27, 2010 Left post Jun 28, 2013 Barack Obama
(Democratic)
66 James Costos Aug 19, 2013 Sep 24, 2013 Left post Jan 18, 2017
67 Richard Duke Buchan III Nov 20, 2017 Apr 3, 2018 Left post Jan 20, 2021 Donald Trump
(Republican)
- Conrad Tribble[16] Foreign Service officer Chargé d'Affaires ad interim Jan 20, 2021 Feb 2, 2022 Joe Biden
(Democratic)
68 Julissa Reynoso Pantaleón Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary[15] Jan 7, 2022 Feb 2, 2022 July 12, 2024
- Rian Harker Harris[17] Foreign Service officer Chargé d'Affaires ad interim July 15, 2024 February 16, 2026
69 Benjamin Leon Non-career appointee Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary December 18, 2025 February 18, 2026 Present Donald Trump
(Republican)

Other nominees

Name Portrait Type of appointee Title Appointment Note
John Jay Minister Plenipotentiary Sep 29, 1779 Proceeded to post, but was not formally received at court; left post about May 20, 1782
James Bowdoin Nov 22, 1804 Did not proceed to post
William T. Barry Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Apr 10, 1853 Took oath of office but died en route to post. Commissioned during a recess of the Senate
John C. Breckinridge Jan 16, 1855 Declined appointment
Cassius M. Clay Apr 14, 1861
William S. Rosecrans Not commissioned; nomination tabled by the Senate
Henry S. Sanford
Joseph E. Willard Non-career appointee Jul 28, 1913 Took oath of office, but did not proceed to post under this appointment
Ellis O. Briggs Foreign Service officer Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Not commissioned; nomination withdrawn before the Senate acted upon it.
Frank E. McKinney Non-career appointee May 11, 1968 Took oath of office, but did not proceed to post under this appointment
Peter M. Flanigan Not commissioned; nomination of Sep 17, 1974 was not acted upon the Senate

Notes

  1. ^ https://x.com/i/status/2024147400198164685
  2. ^ Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on January 26, 1802.
  3. ^ Commissioned during a recess of the Senate. Nominated confirmed by the Senate, Oct 3, 1814; commission following confirmation not of record
  4. ^ Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Feb 10, 1830
  5. ^ Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Sep 28, 1850
  6. ^ Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Mar 16, 1870
  7. ^ Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after conformation on Oct 30, 1877
  8. ^ Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Oct 13, 1881
  9. ^ Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Jan 13, 1886
  10. ^ Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Dec 13, 1888
  11. ^ Woodford left post, Apr 21, 1898. The United States declared war on Spain as of that date by Act of Congress approved April 25, 1898
  12. ^ Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Dec 14, 1899
  13. ^ Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Dec 8, 1902
  14. ^ Bowers was resident during the last part of his Ambassadorship at St. Jean de Luz in France; he left that post, Jun 14, 1939, his appointment having terminated May 14, 1939. The Embassy had meanwhile been re-established in Spain on Apr 13, 1939, when H. Freeman Matthews had been received at Burgos as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim
  15. ^ a b Also credited to Andorra; resident at Madrid.
  16. ^ "Conrad Tribble, Chargé d'Affaires a.i. - U.S. Embassy & Consulate in Spain and Andorra". November 7, 2021. Archived from the original on November 7, 2021. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  17. ^ "Chargé d'Affaires a.i. Rian Harker Harris". July 15, 2024. Retrieved August 28, 2024.

See also

References

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