If confirmed by Congress, Kimberly Guilfoyle, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for US Ambassador to Greece, would become the 25th US envoy to Athens since the end of World War II. She would also become the first female ambassador to Greece.
Guilfoyle will join a long list of American diplomats who shaped US-Greek relations in the last eighty years. Their legacy is mixed. Some have been accused of meddling in internal affairs while others of colluding with the military junta and turning a blind eye to the Turkish invasion of Cyprus.
Historically, however, they all contributed to anchoring Greece to the West, which was not a certainty after the end of WWII and Greece’s transition from military dictatorship to democracy. These diplomats also helped integrate Greece into Western institutions such as NATO and the EU.
1947–2024: US Ambassadors to Greece
Lincoln MacVeagh (1943-1947)
MacVeagh, served as the US ambassador to Greece from 1943 to 1947, a period that spanned the final years of World War II and the early stages of the Greek Civil War. A seasoned diplomat with a background in journalism and publishing, MacVeagh played a key role in maintaining US relations with Greece during one of the most turbulent periods in the country’s modern history.
His advocacy for US engagement in Greece set the stage for the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan, which would become key components of American foreign policy in the early Cold War.
In 1947, he gave secret testimony to the Congress on the danger of Soviet-supported extreme leftist movements in the Balkans. This testimony was considered an important factor in formulating what became known as the Truman Doctrine, which stated that the US would support Greece and Turkey with economic and military aid to prevent their falling into the Soviet Union’s sphere of influence.
While he was in Greece, MacVeagh conducted excavations beneath the Acropolis and made archeological contributions to the National Archaeological Museum of Athens. With his first wife, Margaret, he wrote Greek Journey, a book for children. His wife passed away while they were in Athens. He left Athens on October 11, 1947.
Henry F. Grady (1948–1950)
Henry F. Grady oversaw the implementation of the Marshall Plan and Truman Doctrine aid to Greece. He worked closely with Greek officials to modernize the economy, rebuild industries, and create jobs, though corruption and inefficiency often hampered these efforts.
Grady supported the stabilization of the Greek monarchy and the conservative government. He saw these as essential to countering the communist threat posed by the Democratic Army of Greece (DSE). His tenure coincided with the height of the anti-communist campaign in Greece. US military advisors, under the American Mission for Aid to Greece (AMAG), worked closely with Greek forces to defeat the communist insurgents.
Critics accused Grady and the US of meddling in Greek domestic affairs, particularly by supporting the monarchy and conservative factions at the expense of democratic reforms. The Greek government’s crackdown on communist sympathizers, including mass imprisonments and executions, was supported by US policy but drew criticism for undermining civil liberties.
John Emil Peurifoy (1950–1953)
In 1950, John Emil Peurifoy was appointed ambassador to Greece. The Communists had already been defeated in the Greek Civil War. During his three-year tenure in Greece, to counter the possible return of the Communists, he helped strengthen the anti-Communist government, a center-right Greek government that included the Greek royal family, with whom Peurifoy had close personal relations.
By promoting anti-communist policies and backing conservative forces, Peurifoy contributed to the deep political polarization in post-war Greece. This approach alienated leftist and centrist elements and entrenched divisions in Greek society.
Due to his direct and un-diplomatic involvement in Greece’s internal affairs, his name has negative connotations in Greece and a foreigner who attempts to interfere with Greece’s politics is called a “Peurifoy.”
1953-1965
During the 1953-1965 period, five US ambassadors in Greece sought to stabilize the country during the Cold War and support Greece’s NATO integration and economic development.
They were: Cavendish W. Cannon (1953–1956), George V. Allen (1956–1957), James W. Riddleberger (1958–1961), Ellis O. Briggs (1961–1962) and Henry R. Labouisse (1962–1965)
Phillips Talbot (1965–1969)
Phillips Talbot served as the US Ambassador to Greece from 1965 to 1969, a tumultuous period characterized by political instability, the lead-up to the military coup of 1967, and the establishment of the Greek military junta.
Talbot arrived in Greece during the political crisis known as the Apostasia of 1965, which stemmed from a dispute between King Constantine II and Prime Minister George Papandreou.
On April 21, 1967, a group of colonels led by George Papadopoulos staged a military coup, suspending the constitution, dissolving political parties, and imposing martial law. The US embassy was caught off guard by the coup, though some critics later suggested that the US was complicit or had foreknowledge.
Talbot expressed concern over the authoritarian measures of the junta, including human rights violations. Nevertheless, US policy under the Johnson administration was pragmatic, viewing the junta as a bulwark against communism in the region.
Talbot faced significant criticism for US failure to take a stronger stance against the junta’s human rights abuses, including political repression, censorship, and torture.
As the symbol of US policy in Greece, Talbot became a target of public ire. Protests against the Vietnam War and US support for the junta were frequent during his tenure.
Henry J. Tasca (1969–1974)
Tasca served during the Greek military junta and early stages of the Cyprus crisis. He faced criticism for his perceived leniency and tacit support toward the military dictatorship. Many critics argued that, instead of opposing the regime, he worked to maintain strong relations with the junta and prioritized US strategic interests in the region over human rights concerns.
The Greek military junta was responsible for numerous human rights abuses, including widespread torture, executions, and the suppression of political freedoms. Tasca’s diplomatic approach, which seemed to overlook these violations in favor of maintaining a stable relationship with the junta, became a focal point of criticism.
There were allegations that the US State Department under his leadership was more focused on Cold War dynamics and the Soviet threat than on condemning the authoritarian government in Athens.
His tenure coincided with a particularly controversial moment in US-Greek relations: the visit of Spiro T. Agnew, the US Vice President, to Greece in 1973. This visit became a point of contention due to Agnew’s support for the Greek military junta.
1974-1989
The four US Ambassadors between 1974 and 1989 oversaw the restoration of democracy in Greece and navigated US interests during a period of anti-American sentiment under PM Andreas Papandreou.
They were: Jack B. Kubisch (1974–1977), Murray M. Schwartz (1977–1980), Monteagle Stearns (1981–1985) and Robert V. Keeley (1985–1989).
Michael Sotirhos (1989–1993)
Michael Sotirhos was the first Greek-American ambassador to Greece. He was born in Manhattan, New York on November 12, 1928.
He was the son of Greek immigrants who had immigrated to the United States in 1923: Georgios Sotirchos from Kythira and Aikaterini Mich. Aivaliotis from Triovasalos, Milos. During his stay in Greece, he visited his mother’s house on Milos together with his wife Estelle.
Thomas M. T. Niles (1993–1997)
Niles was the US Ambassador during the Imia crisis between Greece and Turkey that almost led the two NATO countries to war.
In 2022, he was asked what he remembered about the crisis: “I remember being up all night for my involvement in the crisis with the Greek foreign ministry. And we had the President of the United States on the phone pretty much all night,” he said.
“We feared that the worst case scenario would be one in which actual fighting would break out between the Greek and Turkish forces, because there were a large number of military forces in a very small area maneuvering around in the dark, airplanes flying over. There were all kinds of things that could go wrong, but fortunately didn’t,” he added.
One of the most important diplomatic achievements during Niles’ tenure was the negotiation of the US-Greek military base agreement, which allowed US forces to maintain a presence at several key locations in Greece.
There was significant opposition in Greece to the presence of US military bases, particularly among the left-wing parties and student groups. Niles had to navigate these tensions carefully while emphasizing the strategic importance of US bases in Greece for both Greek security and broader NATO objectives.
Nicholas Burns (1997–2001)
Burns had an illustrious career in the US Foreign Service, holding various significant positions before his posting in Greece. Prior to his ambassadorship in Greece, he was involved in Balkan, Middle Eastern, and NATO affairs, including serving as the US Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs and the US Ambassador to NATO.
While Burns was ambassador in Athens, the US government made a concerted effort to push the Greek government to take stronger action against the 17 November terrorist group. He urged the Greek government—under Prime Minister Costas Simitis—to prioritize combating domestic terrorism and enhance cooperation with international agencies, such as the FBI and CIA, to gather intelligence, and track the group’s activities.
While Burns’s tenure as ambassador ended in 2001, the effort to dismantle 17 November continued after his departure. The US pressure on Greece to take action against the group bore fruit shortly after Burns left, when in 2002, Greek authorities finally captured several key members of 17 November, including Alecos Panayiotopoulos, Savvas Xiros, and Dimitris Koufodinas.
Burns also played a key role in modernizing US-Greek military cooperation and Greece’s preparation for the 2004 Olympics.
2001-2016
US Ambassadors to Greece during the 2001-2016 period focused on counterterrorism, the Iraq War, US-Greek trade relations, and the financial crisis that began in Greece in 2009. In addition, US ambassadors of this time had to act as mediators in the simmering conflict on the naming dispute between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
The five ambassadors were: Thomas J. Miller (2001–2004), Charles P. Ries (2004–2007), Daniel V. Speckhard (2007–2010), Daniel B. Smith (2010–2013) and David D. Pearce (2013–2016).
Geoffrey R. Pyatt (2016–2022)
Geoffrey R. Pyatt served as the US Ambassador to Greece from 2016 to 2022, the longest period of any Ambassador since WWII. During his tenure, Pyatt was instrumental in strengthening US-Greek relations, particularly in the areas of security cooperation, economic ties, and regional diplomacy.
Under Pyatt, the relationship between the US and Greece saw increased military collaboration, including joint training exercises, NATO cooperation, and cooperation on counterterrorism efforts. The US Naval presence in Greece grew during his tenure, particularly at Souda Bay on Crete, which became a key US military base for operations in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The discovery of major natural gas reserves in the Eastern Mediterranean led to new geopolitical and economic dynamics. Pyatt supported efforts to enhance energy cooperation between the US, Greece, Cyprus, and other regional partners, particularly through the EastMed pipeline project, aimed at transporting natural gas from the region to Europe.
He worked to strengthen US-Greek economic ties, encouraging increased US investment in Greece. Under his leadership, the US Embassy promoted economic reforms, investment in infrastructure projects, and tourism as a path to growth, while also supporting Greece’s efforts to meet EU financial requirements and remain in the Eurozone.
One of the most significant diplomatic achievements during Pyatt’s tenure was his role in the FYROM name dispute. The long-running disagreement between Greece and FYROM (now North Macedonia) was resolved in 2018 with the signing of the Prespa Agreement, which allowed the country to officially change its name to North Macedonia.
George J. Tsunis (2022–Present)
George Tsunis was the second Greek-American who became a US Ambassador to Greece. His appointment to this position was significant, as Tsunis is well-known for his contributions to the Greek-American community and his strong connections to both the United States and Greece.
Tsunis is highly active in supporting the Greek-American community, having been involved in numerous cultural, philanthropic, and civic organizations. His role as ambassador is seen as a reflection of the enduring influence and importance of Greek-American relations.
Given his background in hospitality, Tsunis has focused on promoting tourism as a major economic driver between the two nations. Greece remains one of the most popular travel destinations for Americans, and Tsunis has emphasized strengthening tourism partnerships.
Having grown up in the Greek-American community of which he remains a very active member, he spent his summers in his parents’ village in Greece, and he came to Athens already familiar with the country, the Greek people, and the Greek ethos, he said.
“I am the son of Dimitris and Eleni Tsunis…from Platanos in the mountains of Nafpaktia. And it has been a great honor to serve as the US Ambassador here,” he said.
He said he was leaving the embassy but not Greece, noting that he will always be by Greece’s side and will help in any way possible.
Related: What Has the United States Ever Done for Greece?
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