William Stuart Symington IV (born 1952) served as the United States Special Envoy for South Sudan from January 2020 to February 2021. He was

United States Ambassador to Nigeria The following is a list of United States ambassadors to Nigeria. Ambassadors Notes See also * Nigeria – United States relations *Foreign relations of Nigeria *Ambassadors of the United States ReferencesUnited States Department of State: B ...

from 2016 to 2019. Earlier he served tours as U.S. Ambassador to Rwanda and Djibouti, as U.S. Special Representative for the Central African Republic, and as Deputy Assistant Secretary.

Biography

Symington was U.S. Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Nigeria (2016-2019). From 2020 to 2021 he was U.S. Special Envoy for South Sudan. Previously, he was the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Central Africa and African Security Affairs (2015-2016), U.S. Special Representative for the Central African Republic (2014-2016 and Political Advisor to the Commander NORAD/US Northern Command 2011–2014). He also served as Ambassador to Rwanda (2008-2011), Ambassador to Djibouti 2006–2008), and Deputy Chief of Mission and Charge' d'affaires in Niger (2001-2003). He was

United States Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other n ...

's Representative at the Joint Forces Staff College in

Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Be ...

from 2005 to 2006, Political Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq from 2004 to 2005, and Deputy Director of the Department's Office of West African Affairs from 2003 to 2005. Earlier in his career, Symington served in Ecuador, Mexico, Spain and Honduras and as a Pearson Fellow in the Office of U.S. Congressman

Ike Skelton Isaac Newton Skelton IV (December 20, 1931 – October 28, 2013) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the U.S. representative for from 1977 to 2011. During his tenure, he served as the chairman of the House Armed Services Committe ...

. Before joining the Department of State he practiced law in Missouri, New York, London and Paris. Symington received a

B.A. Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

from

Brown University Brown University is a private research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providenc ...

and a J.D. from

Columbia Law School Columbia Law School (Columbia Law or CLS) is the law school of Columbia University, a private Ivy League university in New York City. Columbia Law is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious law schools in the world and has always ranked i ...

. He and his spouse Susan Ide Symington have been married for 40 years. A member of Symington family, he is the grandson of Senator

Stuart Symington William Stuart Symington III (; June 26, 1901 – December 14, 1988) was an American businessman and Democratic politician from Missouri. He served as the first Secretary of the Air Force from 1947 to 1950 and was a United States Senator from M ...

Ambassadorships

Djibouti

He served as the U.S. Ambassador to Djibouti from 2006 to 2008.

Rwanda

He served as the U.S. Ambassador to Rwanda from 2008 to 2011.

Nigeria

Symington was sworn in as Ambassador to Nigeria on October 3, 2016 and served until August 30, 2019.

References

, - , - , - 1952 births Living people Ambassadors of the United States to Djibouti Ambassadors of the United States to Nigeria Ambassadors of the United States to Rwanda Brown University alumni Columbia Law School alumni People from Missouri United States Special Envoys United States Foreign Service personnel 21st-century American diplomats {{US-diplomat-stub