Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs
| United States Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs | |
|---|---|
 Seal of the United States Department of State | |
| File:Flag of the United States Assistant Secretary of State.svg Flag of an Assistant Secretary of State | |
since October 10, 2025 | |
| Reports to | Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs |
| Nominator | President of the United States |
| Inaugural holder | William Walton Butterworth |
| Formation | 1949 |
| Website | Official website |
The assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs is the head of the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs within the United States Department of State. The assistant secretary guides operation of the U.S. diplomatic establishment in the countries of the Asia-Pacific region and advises the secretary of state and the under secretary for political affairs on matters relating to the area.
The Department of State established the position of assistant secretary of state for Far Eastern affairs in 1949, after the Commission on Organization of the Executive Branch of Government recommended that certain offices be upgraded to bureau level and after Congress increased the number of assistant secretaries of state from six to ten. On November 1, 1966, the department by administrative action changed the incumbent's designation to assistant secretary for East Asian and Pacific affairs. The Division of Far Eastern Affairs, established in 1908, was the first geographical division to be established in the Department of State.[1]
List of assistant secretaries of state for Far Eastern affairs, 1949–1966
[edit | edit source]| # | Image | Name | Assumed office | Left office | President served under |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | File:Portrait of W. Walton Butterworth.jpg | William Walton Butterworth[2] | September 29, 1949 | July 4, 1950 | Harry S. Truman |
| 2 | File:Dean Rusk.jpg | Dean Rusk | March 28, 1950 | December 9, 1951 | Harry S. Truman |
| 3 | John Moore Allison | February 1, 1952 | April 7, 1953 | Harry S. Truman | |
| 4 | Walter S. Robertson | April 8, 1953 | June 30, 1959 | Dwight D. Eisenhower | |
| 5 | File:J. Graham Parsons.jpg | J. Graham Parsons | July 1, 1959 | March 30, 1961 | Dwight D. Eisenhower |
| 6 | File:Photograph of Walter P. McConaughy 59-SO-186-VS-255-53.jpg | Walter P. McConaughy | April 24, 1961 | December 3, 1961 | John F. Kennedy |
| 7 | File:Averill Harriman September 1965 (cropped).jpg | W. Averell Harriman | December 4, 1961[3] | April 3, 1963 | John F. Kennedy |
| 8 | File:Roger Hilsman Department of State.jpg | Roger Hilsman | May 9, 1963 | March 15, 1964 | John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson |
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List of assistant secretaries of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, 1966–present
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References
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- ^ Butterworth was initially appointed as "Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs." On March 20, 1950, his title was changed to "Assistant Secretary of State for Japanese Affairs."
- ^ Initially commissioned during a recess of the Senate. He was later confirmed and re-commissioned on March 5, 1962.
- ^ Godley was never commissioned and President Nixon withdrew his nomination before the Senate acted upon it.
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- ^ Nomination withdrawn.
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