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Third Assistant Secretary of State

Creation of this Position

Title: Third Assistant Secretary of State
Name: Benjamin Moran
Note: Not commissioned, although his nomination of Jun 22, 1874, had been confirmed by the Senate.

Title: Third Assistant Secretary of State
Name: John A. Campbell
State of Residency: Wyoming
Non-career appointee
Appointment: Feb 24, 1875
Entry on Duty: Feb 24, 1875
Termination of Appointment: Nov 30, 1877

Title: Third Assistant Secretary of State
Name: Charles Payson
State of Residency: New York
Non-career appointee
Appointment: Jun 11, 1878
Entry on Duty: Jun 22, 1878
Termination of Appointment: Jun 30, 1881

Title: Third Assistant Secretary of State
Name: Walker Blaine
State of Residency: Maine
Non-career appointee
Appointment: Jul 1, 1881
Entry on Duty: Jul 1, 1881
Termination of Appointment: Jun 30, 1882
Note: Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Oct 14, 1881.

Title: Third Assistant Secretary of State
Name: Alvey A. Adee
State of Residency: District of Columbia
Non-career appointee
Appointment: Jul 18, 1882
Entry on Duty: Jul 18, 1882
Termination of Appointment: Aug 5, 1886

Title: Third Assistant Secretary of State
Name: John B. Moore
State of Residency: Delaware
Non-career appointee
Appointment: Aug 3, 1886
Entry on Duty: Aug 6, 1886
Termination of Appointment: Sep 30, 1891

Title: Third Assistant Secretary of State
Name: William M. Grinnell
State of Residency: New York
Non-career appointee
Appointment: Feb 11, 1892
Entry on Duty: Feb 15, 1892
Termination of Appointment: Apr 16, 1893

Title: Third Assistant Secretary of State
Name: Edward H. Strobel
State of Residency: New York
Non-career appointee
Appointment: Apr 13, 1893
Entry on Duty: Apr 17, 1893
Termination of Appointment: Apr 16, 1894

Title: Third Assistant Secretary of State
Name: William Woodville Rockhill
State of Residency: Maryland
Non-career appointee
Appointment: Apr 14, 1894
Entry on Duty: Apr 17, 1894
Termination of Appointment: Feb 13, 1896

Title: Third Assistant Secretary of State
Name: William Woodward Baldwin
State of Residency: New York
Non-career appointee
Appointment: Feb 24, 1896
Entry on Duty: Feb 29, 1896
Termination of Appointment: Apr 1, 1897

Title: Third Assistant Secretary of State
Name: Thomas Wilbur Cridler
State of Residency: West Virginia
Non-career appointee
Appointment: Apr 8, 1897
Entry on Duty: Apr 8, 1897
Termination of Appointment: Nov 15, 1901

Title: Third Assistant Secretary of State
Name: Herbert H. D. Peirce
State of Residency: Massachusetts
Non-career appointee
Appointment: Nov 15, 1901
Entry on Duty: Nov 16, 1901
Termination of Appointment: Jun 22, 1906
Note: Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Dec 10, 1901.

Title: Third Assistant Secretary of State
Name: Huntington Wilson
State of Residency: Illinois
Non-career appointee
Appointment: Jun 22, 1906
Entry on Duty: Jul 2, 1906
Termination of Appointment: Dec 30, 1908

Title: Third Assistant Secretary of State
Name: William Phillips
State of Residency: Massachusetts
Non-career appointee
Appointment: Jan 11, 1909
Entry on Duty: Jan 11, 1909
Termination of Appointment: Oct 13, 1909

Title: Third Assistant Secretary of State
Name: Chandler Hale
State of Residency: Maine
Non-career appointee
Appointment: Sep 25, 1909
Entry on Duty: Oct 14, 1909
Termination of Appointment: Apr 21, 1913
Note: Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Dec 13, 1909.

Title: Third Assistant Secretary of State
Name: Dudley Field Malone
State of Residency: New York
Non-career appointee
Appointment: Apr 21, 1913
Entry on Duty: Apr 22, 1913
Termination of Appointment: Nov 22, 1913

Title: Third Assistant Secretary of State
Name: William Phillips
State of Residency: Massachusetts
Non-career appointee
Appointment: Mar 13, 1914
Entry on Duty: Mar 17, 1914
Termination of Appointment: Jan 24, 1917

Title: Third Assistant Secretary of State
Name: Breckinridge Long
State of Residency: Missouri
Non-career appointee
Appointment: Jan 24, 1917
Entry on Duty: Jan 29, 1917
Termination of Appointment: Jun 8, 1920

Title: Third Assistant Secretary of State
Name: Van Santvoord Merle-Smith
State of Residency: New York
Non-career appointee
Appointment: Jun 21, 1920
Entry on Duty: Jun 24, 1920
Termination of Appointment: Mar 4, 1921
Note: Commissioned during a recess of the Senate.

Title: Third Assistant Secretary of State
Name: Robert Woods Bliss
State of Residency: New York
Foreign Service officer
Appointment: Mar 15, 1921
Entry on Duty: Mar 16, 1921
Termination of Appointment: May 3, 1923

Title: Third Assistant Secretary of State
Name: J. Butler Wright
State of Residency: Wyoming
Foreign Service officer
Appointment: Jan 30, 1923
Entry on Duty: Jun 11, 1923
Termination of Appointment: Jun 30, 1924
Note: Title changed to Assistant Secretary of State effective July 1, 1924.

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Creation of Position: A Federal appropriations act for the year ending Jun 30, 1875 (Jun 20, 1874; 18 Stat. 90), authorized the President to appoint a Third Assistant Secretary of State. The Secretary of State was authorized to prescribe the duties of the Assistant Secretaries and other Department of State employees, "and may make changes and transfers therein when, in his judgment, it becomes necessary." The Third Assistant Secretary's duties varied over the years, including such diverse assignments as: supervision of several geographic divisions; oversight of the Bureaus of Accounts and Appointments; international conferences and commissions; and ceremonials and protocol, including presentation to the President of chiefs of foreign diplomatic missions. The Foreign Service Act of 1924 (May 24, 1924; 43 Stat 146) abolished numerical titles for Assistant Secretaries of State.

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