Office of the Chief of Protocol

Whether rolling out the red carpet for a King visiting the President at the White House, hosting a Prime Minister at the President's guesthouse, traveling overseas with the President, credentialing a new foreign Ambassador, or planning events for the Secretary of State, the duties of the Office of the Chief of Protocol are many and varied.

Since the time of the Egyptian pharaohs, there have been government officials in charge of diplomatic conduct. Today, more than 3,000 years later, it is the Office of the Chief of Protocol that advises, assists, and supports the President of the United States, the Vice President, and the Secretary of State on official matters of national and international protocol, ensuring that the accepted rules of conduct in every capital of the world are implemented.

Under the direction of the Chief of Protocol, Donald Burnham Ensenat, and the Deputy Chief of Protocol, Jeffrey H. Eubank, the office is responsible for activities including the planning, hosting, and officiating of ceremonial events for visiting chiefs of state and heads of government, as well as coordinating logistics for the visits; managing Blair House, the President's guesthouse; and overseeing all protocol matters for Presidential or Vice Presidential travel abroad, working alongside the White House.

Read more about what the Office of the Chief of Protocol does.

[click on photos for larger images]