Editing Consulate General of the United States, Chennai

{{Short description|American Consulate in Tamil Nadu, India}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2018}}
{{Infobox official post
|post            = Consulate General
|body            = the United States of America Chennai
|native_name     = <small>சென்னை அமெரிக்கத் துணைத்தூதரகம்</small>
|insignia        = US Department of State official seal.svg
|insigniasize    = 120px
|insigniacaption = Seal of the United States Department of State
|department      = [[United States Department of State]]
|image           = USConsulateChennai BuildingExterior.jpg
|imagesize       = 250px
|alt             =
|incumbent       = Judith Ravin<br />(26th Consul General)<ref name="IE_JudithRavin"/>
|incumbentsince  = September 2020
|style           = Consul General
|residence       =
|nominator       = [[Joe Biden]]
|nominatorpost   = [[President of the United States]]
|appointer       =
|appointerpost   =
|termlength      = 3 years
|inaugural       = William Abbott<br /><small>as U.S. Consular Agent</small>
|formation       = 24 November 1794
|last            = 
|abolished       =
|succession      =
|deputy          =
|salary          =
|website         = {{official|https://in.usembassy.gov/embassy-consulates/chennai/}}
}}

The '''Consulate General of the United States of America Chennai''' represents the interests of the [[United States government]] in [[Chennai]] (formerly known as Madras), [[India]] and surrounding regions. The consulate reports to the ambassador at the [[Embassy of the United States, New Delhi|U.S. Embassy in New Delhi]]. The current Consul General, the 26th, is Judith Ravin, incumbent since September 2020.<ref name="IE_JudithRavin"/> She was preceded by Robert G. Burgess.<ref name="TOI_RobertBurgess"/>

Ranked one of America's biggest adjudication posts in the world, the Chennai Consulate also ranks first globally in processing employment-based visas, ranks among the top globally in issuing 'L' and 'H' category visas, and ranks eighth globally in terms of all category of visas being issued. As of 2009, about 20,000 visitors enter the consulate every month to obtain a range of services, including the American Library and cultural and educational programs conducted by the Consulate General.<ref name="InTouchSouthIndia_VolVI3"/>

==Location==
The Consulate General building is located at 220 [[Anna Salai]], and abuts the [[Oxford University Press]] building. The building stands at the intersection of Anna Salai and Cathedral Road on the [[Anna Flyover|Gemini Circle]] facing the Anna Flyover on a land leased for long-term from St. George's Cathedral and has entrance on both roads. Both the Consulate General and the American Library Center are located in the same building.<ref>{{cite web| title =Contact Us at the Embassy| publisher =Embassy of the United States, New Delhi| url =http://newdelhi.usembassy.gov/contact_us_2.html| access-date =15 Jan 2012| url-status =dead| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20120119070216/http://newdelhi.usembassy.gov/contact_us_2.html| archive-date =2012-01-19}}</ref>

==History==
Trading links between the United States and the [[British East India Company|East India Company's]] territories began when the American ship ''Chesapeake'' sailed up the [[Hugli-Chinsura|Hooghly]] to anchor in [[Calcutta]] in 1786, just ten years after the [[United States Declaration of Independence]]. On 19 November 1792, the then American President George Washington appointed Benjamin Joy, a businessman from [[Newburyport]], Massachusetts, as the first American Consul to India.<ref name="100YearsOfUSRep"/> With the advice of the then Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson and consent of the Senate, President Washington commissioned Joy to that office on 21 November 1792. When Joy reached Calcutta in April 1794, the [[British Raj|colonial government]] repudiated his commission. However, he was permitted to 'reside here as a Commercial Agent subject to the Civil and Criminal Jurisdiction of this Country ... ', and he stayed in Calcutta and served as the commercial agent of the American government.<ref name="KolkataHistory">{{cite web| title =About the Consulate| work =US Consulate Kolkata| url =http://kolkata.usconsulate.gov/about_the_consulate.html| access-date =17 Jan 2012| url-status =dead| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20151025091257/http://kolkata.usconsulate.gov/about_the_consulate.html| archive-date =2015-10-25}}</ref>

[[File:EID Parry headquarters.jpg|thumb|left|Dare House at [[Parry's Corner]], where the Consulate General was located from 1940 until the 1950s]]
To manage U.S. maritime interests in [[South India]], Joy appointed William Abbott, a British-born American merchant, as the first American consular agent of the [[Madras Presidency]] on 24 November 1794, who served for more than a decade.<ref>{{cite web
  | last = Clark
  | first = Mike
  | title = Abbott Family Genealogy
  | work = mikesclark.com
  | url = http://www.mikesclark.com/genealogy/abbott.html
  | access-date = 2 Aug 2012}}</ref><ref name="AbbottOfTeynampet">{{cite news
  | title = An Abbott of Teynampet
  | location = Chennai
  | date = 30 April 2007
  | url = http://www.hindu.com/mp/2007/04/30/stories/2007043000240601.htm
  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071113042945/http://www.hindu.com/mp/2007/04/30/stories/2007043000240601.htm
  | url-status = dead
  | archive-date = 13 November 2007
  | newspaper = [[The Hindu]]
  | access-date = 2 Aug 2012}}</ref> Abbott was actively engaged in politics and even served as the mayor of Madras for a brief period in 1797.<ref name="TheHindu_RobertBurgess"/> The trade between the United States and the city involved cotton, tea, spices, and leather from South India and "blocks of ice hewn from the frozen lakes of Massachusetts."<ref name="TheHindu_RobertBurgess">{{cite news
  | last = Burgess 
  | first = Robert 
  | title = Happy Birthday, Madras!
  | newspaper = The Hindu
  | location = Chennai
  | date = 22 August 2018
  | url = https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/happy-birthday-madras/article24748212.ece
  | access-date = 25 August 2018}}</ref> The Indo-American trade experienced a hiatus for several decades that followed, and, when it revived, a separate U.S. consular agency was established in Madras on 24 May 1867 with Joseph L. Thompson, of Massachusetts, serving as the consular agent to Madras.<ref name="TheHindu_TheAmericanPresence"/> He served till October 1872. The consular agents in Madras were expected to report directly to the State Department of the U.S. government.<ref name="100YearsOfUSRep"/> The post continued as a consular agency under the Consulate General at Calcutta until 1908. The main role of the consular agents during those times was to promote trade and business interests of the United States, and most consular agents between 1867 until 1908 were selected from the ranks of expatriate businessmen.<ref name="EmergenceIntoStrenght">{{cite journal
 |title=Indo-American Relations: From Emergence into Strength 
 |journal=Span 
 |page=11 
 |date=July–August 2007 
 |url=http://span.state.gov/wwwfspjulyaug072.pdf 
 |access-date=6 Sep 2012 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110701063403/http://span.state.gov/wwwfspjulyaug072.pdf 
 |archive-date=2011-07-01 
}}</ref>

The Reorganization Act of 5 April 1906 regularized consular service with fixed tenures of office, fixed salaries, a system of promotion, and seven position classes including consuls general and consuls. This changed the prevailing trend, and in June 1908, the post of consular agency was raised to the rank of a consulate.<ref name="EmergenceIntoStrenght"/> In December 1908, with the recommendation by the [[U.S. Department of State]], Nathaniel B. Stewart was appointed as the first representative of the American government with the title of Consul in Madras, who served the next two years.<ref name="100YearsOfUSRep">{{cite news
  | last = Muthiah
  | first = S.
  | title = 100 years of U.S. representation
  | location = Chennai
  | date = 22 September 2008
  | url = http://www.hindu.com/mp/2008/09/22/stories/2008092250870500.htm
  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080925200447/http://www.hindu.com/mp/2008/09/22/stories/2008092250870500.htm
  | url-status = dead
  | archive-date = 25 September 2008
  | newspaper = [[The Hindu]]
  | access-date = 2 Aug 2012}}</ref> An office was established with the official status as a consulate on the third floor of a building owned by [[EID Parry|Parrys and Company]], located on No. 1 [[China Bazaar Road, Chennai|China Bazaar Road]], now known as Netaji Subash Chandra Bose Road, at [[Parry's Corner]]. Later, the office moved to a building between Rajaji Salai and Moore Street.<ref name="Hindu_ThoroughfareOfGeorgeTown">{{cite news 
  | last = Madhavan 
  | first = T. 
  | title = NSC Bose Road: Thoroughfare of George Town 
  | newspaper = The Hindu
  | location = Chennai
  | date = 12 May 2012 
  | url = http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/article3404384.ece
  | access-date = 14 Jan 2013}}</ref> When the building was demolished and built as a modern six-storied building, now known as [[Dare House]], the U.S. Consulate continued its tenancy by occupying the fourth floor of the building in October 1940.<ref name="100YearsOfUSRep"/>

With India gaining [[Partition of India|independence]], the American diplomatic post in Madras was officially raised to a Consulate General on 15 August 1947, marking a milestone in the bilateral relationship between the two countries. On the same day, Roy E. B. Bower became the last consul and the first consul general in Madras in independent India.<ref name="100YearsOfUSRep"/> With Parry's Company wanting the whole building in 1952, the Consulate had to look for new premises.<ref name="TheHindu_TheAmericanPresence"/> Five years later, in the 1950s, the Consulate General moved to a building on [[Anna Salai|Mount Road]] (the present-day Anna Salai), currently occupied by the [[Bank of America]]. With the expansion of the Indo-U.S. relations after Independence, the Consulate General required a purpose-built structure to accommodate a diversity of activities such as library services, cultural programming, educational exchange, visas, American citizen services and development assistance, along with the ancient standby, trade promotion. For this purpose, the Consulate General leased out a parcel of land on the Gemini Circle from the [[Church of South India]] to build its own building. On 3 January 1969, the Consulate General moved to its present location at the [[Anna Flyover|Gemini Circle]],<ref name="History"/> which was inaugurated by Ambassador [[Chester Bowles]].<ref name="InTouchSouthIndia_VolVI3"/>

==Architecture==
[[File:USConsulateChennai building1969.jpg|thumb|right|The Chennai Consulate General Building in 1969]]
The American consulate building was designed by the [[New Orleans]] firm Burt, Lebreton and Lamantia, combining the American architecture of the 1960s and features of traditional [[South Indian architecture]].<ref>{{cite book | last = Muthiah| first = S. | author-link = S. Muthiah | title = Madras Rediscovered| publisher = EastWest | date = 2014 | location = Chennai | pages = 89–90| isbn = 978-93-84030-28-5}}</ref> The architecture of the consulate building was inspired from the traditional houses of [[Thanjavur]] and [[Karaikudi]]. The American architect hired to design the building traveled around [[South India]] in search of inspiration before zeroing in on the final theme.<ref name="InTouchSouthIndia_VolVI3">{{cite web
  | title = A Plaque Tells the Story
  | work = In Touch South India—Headlines from the U.S. Consulate General Chennai, Vol. VI(3)
  | publisher = US Consulate Chennai
  | date = June–July 2009
  | url = http://chennai.usconsulate.gov/pdfs/intouchjune-july2009.pdf
  | access-date = 12 Oct 2012
  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130219001441/http://chennai.usconsulate.gov/pdfs/intouchjune-july2009.pdf
  | archive-date = 19 February 2013
  | url-status = dead
  }}</ref> As quoted by S. Krishnan, who accompanied Lamantia on his architectural quest in Tamil Nadu and parts of [[Andhra Pradesh]], Lamantia, whose roots were in [[Don Quixote]]'s village, chose the architecture of the traditional houses of Thanjavur and Chettinad to blend with the American style in his design plan. Thus, the rectangular Consulate General building was built around a roofless central courtyard, with verandahs running around it and rooms opening out of them. In addition, inspired by the South Indian temple architecture, the four exterior walls were studded with chips of [[Pallavaram]] [[granite]].<ref name="TheHindu_TheAmericanPresence">{{cite news
  | last = Muthaih
  | first = S.
  | title = The American presence
  | location = Chennai
  | date = 5 November 2003
  | url = http://www.hindu.com/mp/2003/11/05/stories/2003110500220300.htm
  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20031206230836/http://www.hindu.com/mp/2003/11/05/stories/2003110500220300.htm
  | url-status = dead
  | archive-date = 6 December 2003
  | newspaper = [[The Hindu]]
  | access-date = 15 Jan 2012}}</ref>

The building has a library space in the second floor. It also has a large auditorium.<ref name="USDOS_ReportOfInspection2005"/>

A new office building of the Consulate General was planned in 2008 to be built in about five years. It still has not been built, but plans still remain.<ref name="HCC_USConsulateStandsFirstInVisa">{{cite news
  | title = U.S. Consulate in Chennai stands first in issuing visa for temporary workers 
  | newspaper = Hindustan Chamber of Commerce 
  | location = Chennai
  | publisher = The Hindu
  | date = 15 October 2008 
  | url = http://www.hindustanchamber.in/portal/index.php?view=article&catid=35%3Anewsroom&id=66%3Aus-consulate-in-chennai-stands-first-in-issuing-visa-for-temporary-workers-&option=com_content&Itemid=90
  | access-date = 15 Jan 2015}}</ref>

==Consular District==
The Chennai consular district, covering three states and three union territories of the country, serves a population of about 160 million and includes seven official languages used daily in the post's visa operations.<ref>{{cite magazine
 | last = Talalay 
 | first = Sarah 
 | title = Passage Through India: Consulate's Outreach Promotes U.S. Travel 
 |magazine=State Magazine
 | issue = 574 
 | pages = 20–21
 | publisher = U.S. Department of State
 | date = January 2013 
 }}</ref> An increasing middle-class population in the region who intend to travel abroad, increase in demand for skilled workforce in the United States, and the transformation of the Indo–U.S. relationship led to an increase in visa demand in the Chennai consular district in recent years. The demand for non-immigrant visas in Chennai increased by more than 80 percent between 2004 and 2007, peaking at around 280,000 in 2007. In response, the post added staff and interview windows and improved its training, fraud prevention, and workload management, making the wait times for non-immigrant visas stable at less than a week.<ref>{{cite magazine
 | last = Lahm
 | first = Martin
 | title = Meeting the Needs: Mission's consular services expand as demand increases
 |magazine=State Magazine
 | issue = 538
 |page=19
 | publisher = U.S. Department of State
 | date = October 2009
 | url = https://2009-2017.state.gov/documents/organization/130742.pdf
 | access-date = 13 Oct 2012}}</ref>

Owing to the drastic increase in visa demand from the Chennai district in the recent years, the embassy at New Delhi designated all of India as one consular district. This enabled people seeking visa appointments in New Delhi and Calcutta even if they traditionally live in the Chennai consular district.<ref name="USDOS_ReportOfInspection2005"/>

==Functions==
The Chennai Consulate serves the Chennai consular district, which includes the states of [[Tamil Nadu]], [[Karnataka]], [[Kerala]], and the union territories of [[Lakshadweep]], [[Puducherry (union territory)|Puducherry]], and the [[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]].<ref>{{cite web
  | title = General Information
  | publisher = US Consulate Chennai
  | url = http://chennai.usconsulate.gov/about-us.html
  | access-date = 15 Jan 2012
  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120121071151/http://chennai.usconsulate.gov/about-us.html
  | archive-date = 21 January 2012
  | url-status = dead
  }}</ref> The Consulate processes applications for both immigrant and non-immigrant [[Visa (document)|visas]] to the United States. The Consulate provides U.S. citizens with assistance and support in aspects such as passport replacement, CRBA, notarials, registration in embassy ward system, renewal of passport, and so forth.<ref>{{cite web
  | title = American Embassy in Chennai India
  | publisher = American Emabssy Information
  | url = http://www.americanembassyinformation.com/chennai-india.html
  | access-date = 7 Feb 2012}}</ref> The consulate reports through the Embassy of the United States in [[New Delhi]]. The country-level coordination office for Fraud Prevention Programme is located in the Chennai consulate.<ref>{{cite news
  | last = Srivathsan
  | first = A.
  | title = Hyderabad a U.S. visa fraud hub
  | newspaper = The Hindu
  | location = Chennai
  | date = 21 April 2011
  | url = http://www.thehindu.com/news/the-india-cables/article1712443.ece
  | access-date = 25 Jun 2012}}</ref> The Chennai Consulate General has a virtual consulate at [[Bangalore]], which does not process visa applications.<ref>{{cite web
  | title = Visas
  | publisher = Consulate General of the United States Chennai
  | url = http://chennai.usconsulate.gov/visas.html
  | access-date = 15 Jan 2012
  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120125221444/http://chennai.usconsulate.gov/visas.html
  | archive-date = 25 January 2012
  | url-status = dead
  }}</ref>

The consular section at the Chennai Consulate has been expanded eight times since 1988 and was designed to process 2,500 visa applications annually. In 2004–2005, the Chennai Consulate General processed approximately 8,600 immigrant visa cases, issuing 5,300. The consulate no longer processes immigrant visas.<ref name="USDOS_ReportOfInspection2005"/>

From 1 December 2011, the Chennai Consulate General became the only center in the country to receive and process blanket L category visas meant for managers, executives, or specialized knowledge professionals transferring within their company.<ref>{{cite news
  | title = Chennai, sole US blanket L visa centre from Dec 1
  | newspaper = Business Line
  | location = Chennai
  | publisher = The Hindu
  | date = 1 November 2011
  | url = http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/government-and-policy/article2588917.ece?homepage=true&ref=wl_industry-and-economy_art
  | access-date = 15 Jan 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
  | title = Let US consulate in Chennai adjudicate blanket L visa applications: Report
  | newspaper = The Economic Times
  | location = Chennai
  | publisher = The Times Group
  | date = 27 July 2011
  | url = http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-07-27/news/29820799_1_visa-applications-consular-officers-l-visa
  | access-date = 20 Jan 2012}}</ref> From 1 January 2012, the center stopped processing immigrant visa petitions.<ref>{{cite news
  | title = U.S. Consulate General in Chennai will no longer process Immigrant Visa
  | newspaper = Times of AP
  | date = 11 January 2012
  | url = http://timesofap.com/immigration/2012/01/11/u-s-consulate-general-in-chennai-will-no-longer-process-immigrant-visa/
  | access-date = 15 Jan 2012}}</ref>

The Chennai Consulate is one of America's biggest adjudication posts in the world and the number one globally in processing employment-based visas.<ref>{{cite news
  | title = US Consulate in Chennai tops in number of visas 
  | newspaper = Business Standard 
  | location = Chennai
  | date = 2 October 2013 
  | url = http://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/us-consulate-in-chennai-processes-highest-no-of-employment-based-visas-globally-113100200282_1.html
  | access-date = 5 Oct 2013}}</ref> It is ranked among the top globally in issuing 'L' and 'H' category visas for workers and professionals and is ranked eighth globally in terms of all category of visas being issued, along with the ones in [[Mumbai]] and [[New Delhi]] coming within the top 10 globally in the volume of visas.<ref name="ChennaiAmongTop10Visa"/> The number of visa applications processed at the Consulate increased threefold between 1998 and 2008. In 1998, almost 79,000 people applied for visas at the Consulate, which increased to 237,306 applications in 2007.<ref name="CGUS_USAPopularDestination">{{cite web 
  | title = Consular Corner: U.S. a Popular Destination for Indian Travelers 
  | work = In Touch South India (Vol. V, No. 5) 
  | publisher = Consulate General of the United States Chennai 
  | date = October–November 2008 
  | url = http://chennai.usconsulate.gov/pdfs/intouch08octnov.pdf 
  | access-date = 13 Jan 2013 
  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111015050135/http://chennai.usconsulate.gov/pdfs/intouch08octnov.pdf 
  | archive-date = 15 October 2011 
  | url-status = dead 
  }}</ref> The Chennai Consulate issued 142,565 non-immigrant visas in 2010 — the most among Mission India's five consular sections,<ref>{{cite news
  | title = New U.S. Consul-General to focus on bringing more students to India
  | newspaper = The Hindu
  | location = Chennai
  | date = 8 September 2011
  | url = http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/tamil-nadu/article2433413.ece
  | access-date = 15 Jan 2012}}</ref> up from 7,500 non-immigrant visa applications in 1992. The Consulate conducts an average of 1,200 to 1,400 interviews every day, which has gone up to 1,800 in a day, with an average refusal rate of 20 percent.<ref>{{cite web
 | last = Schwartz
 | first = Liam
 | title = A Day in the Life of a Consular Officer – Chennai, India
 | work = Consular Corner (pp. 8–11)
 | date = May 2011
 | url = http://www.ilw.com/articles/2011,0531-schwartz.pdf
 | access-date = 6 Sep 2012}}</ref> In 2017, the Consulate General adjudicated more than 305,000 visa applications.<ref name="TheHindu_RobertBurgess"/>

With more than 300 employees,<ref name="USConsulate_OfficesAndDepartments"/> the Chennai Consulate processes 900 applications a day of which around 500 to 600 are 'B1' and 'B2' visas for temporary stay in the United States.<ref name="ChennaiAmongTop10Visa">{{cite news
  | title = U.S. Consulate in Chennai among top 10 visa issuers
  | location = Chennai
  | date = 9 July 2010
  | url = http://www.hindu.com/2010/07/09/stories/2010070956080200.htm
  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100713185155/http://www.hindu.com/2010/07/09/stories/2010070956080200.htm
  | url-status = dead
  | archive-date = 13 July 2010
  | newspaper = [[The Hindu]]
  | access-date = 15 Jan 2012}}</ref> Over 20,000 people visit the Chennai Consulate every month to obtain services ranging from visits to the American Library to visa services.<ref name="History">{{cite web| title =History| publisher =US Consulate Chennai| url =http://chennai.usconsulate.gov/history.html| access-date =15 Jan 2012| url-status =dead| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20130213213744/http://chennai.usconsulate.gov/history.html| archive-date =2013-02-13}}</ref>

Till 2005, the fraud prevention unit (FPU) of the Chennai Consulate General was home base for the India country coordinator for consular fraud-prevention programs, a position later transferred to the embassy in New Delhi. The Chennai Consulate General's quarterly ''India Fraud Bulletin'' has been reviewed by the Department of State.<ref name="USDOS_ReportOfInspection2005"/>

The community liaison office at the Chennai Consulate General publishes a newsletter ''Chennai Masala''.<ref name="USDOS_ReportOfInspection2005"/>

==Staff==
[[File:Secretary Clinton Delivers Remarks to Staff and Family Members of U.S. Consulate General in Chennai, India.jpg|250px|thumb|U.S. Secretary [[Hillary Clinton]] delivers remarks to staff and family members of the Chennai Consulate General during her visit in 2011]]
As of 2005, there were 20 foreign service officers in the Chennai Consulate General, up from five officers in 1999. Despite this increase in staff, the Chennai Consulate General cannot cope with the NIV demand due to heavy workload.<ref name="USDOS_ReportOfInspection2005">{{cite web
  | title = Report of Inspection, Embassy New Delhi, India
  | work = Report Number ISP-I-05-21A
  | publisher = United States Department of State and the Broadcasting Board of Governors Office of Inspector General 
  | date = July 2005 
  | url = http://oig.state.gov/system/files/109854.pdf 
  | access-date = 15 Jan 2015}}</ref>

===List of Consul Generals===
{{Expand section|date=January 2015}}

{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Rank
!Portrait
!Name
!Term
!width=270px | Notes 
|-
|1
|
|Roy E. B. Bower
|1947–
|First consul general after the diplomatic post was upgraded as a consulate general
|-
|2
|
|Robert B. Streeper
|
|
|-
|3
|[[File:Waldo Emerson Bailey, 1922.jpg|90px]]
|[[Waldo Emerson Bailey|Waldo E. Bailey]]
|
|
|-
|4
|
|Robert M. Taylor
|
|
|-
|5
|
|Henry C. Ramsey
|
|
|-
|6
|
|Thomas W. Simmons Sr.
|
|
|-
|7
|
|Albert B. Franklin
|
|
|-
|8
|
|Thomas M. Recknagel
|
|
|-
|9
|
|Stephen E. Palmer Jr.
|
|
|-
|10
|
|John Eaves Jr.
|
|
|-
|11
|
|Charles W. McCaskill
|
|
|-
|12
|
|Douglas M. Cochran
|
|
|-
|13
|
|Daniel F. Waterman
|
|
|-
|14
|
|John D. Stempel
|
|
|-
|15
|
|Thomas M. F. Timberman
|–1990
|
|-
|16
|[[File:Ernestine S Heck.png|90px]]
|Ernestine S. Heck
|July 1990–July 1993<ref>{{cite web| url = https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/mss/mfdip/2007/2007hec01/2007hec01.pdf | title = Interview with Ernestine S. Heck | last = Stuart Kennedy | first = Charles | date = 11 December 1997 | website = Library of Congress | publisher = The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training Foreign Affairs Oral History Project | access-date = 11 June 2022 | quote = }}</ref>
|First female consul general of the Madras post
|-
|17
|
|Timothy P. Hauser
|1993–1996
|
|-
|18
|[[File:Michele Sison official photo.jpg|90px]]
|[[Michele J. Sison]]
|1996–1999
|Second female consul general of the Chennai post
|-
|19
|
|Bernard J. Alter
|1999–2002
|
|-
|20
|
|Richard D. Haynes
|August 2002 – April 2005<ref>{{cite news
  | last = TNN 
  | title = New US consul-general calls on Jaya 
  | newspaper = The Times of India 
  | location = Chennai
  | publisher = The Times Group 
  | date = 9 August 2002 
  | url = http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/New-US-consul-general-calls-on-Jaya/articleshow/18501900.cms
  | access-date = 15 Jan 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
  | title = To sir, with love 
  | location = Chennai
  | date = 1 May 2005 
  | url = http://www.thehindu.com/lf/2005/05/01/stories/2005050111330200.htm
  | archive-url = https://archive.today/20150118122027/http://www.thehindu.com/lf/2005/05/01/stories/2005050111330200.htm
  | url-status = dead
  | archive-date = 18 January 2015
  | newspaper = [[The Hindu]]
  | access-date = 15 Jan 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
  | title = Mr Richard D Haynes, Consul General of the USA called on the Honble Chief Minister on completion of his tenure at Chennai
  | publisher = Government of Tamil Nadu 
  | date = 29 April 2005 
  | url = http://www.tn.gov.in/advanced_search/search_view/33664
  | access-date = 15 Jan 2015}}</ref>
|
|-
|21
|[[File:David T Hopper.png|90px]]
|David T. Hopper
|September 2005 – September 2008<ref>{{cite news
  | title = Briefly: New U.S. Consul General 
  | location = Chennai
  | date = 10 September 2005 
  | url = http://www.thehindu.com/2005/09/10/stories/2005091008220400.htm
  | archive-url = https://archive.today/20150118124131/http://www.thehindu.com/2005/09/10/stories/2005091008220400.htm
  | url-status = dead
  | archive-date = 18 January 2015
  | newspaper = [[The Hindu]]
  | access-date = 15 Jan 2015}}</ref>
|
|-
|22
|[[File:Andrew T. Simkin.png|90px]]
|Andrew T. Simkin
|September 2008 – August 2011<ref name="HCC_USConsulateStandsFirstInVisa"/>
|
|-
|23
|[[File:Jennifer A McIntyre.png|90px]]
|Jennifer A. McIntyre
|3 August 2011 – 17 September 2014<ref>{{cite news
  | last = George
  | first = Daniel P.
  | title = New US consul general to take charge
  | location = Chennai
  | date = 1 July 2011
  | url = http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-07-01/chennai/29726060_1_consul-foreign-service-visa-officer
  | archive-url = https://archive.today/20130126062342/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-07-01/chennai/29726060_1_consul-foreign-service-visa-officer
  | url-status = dead
  | archive-date = 26 January 2013
  | newspaper = [[The Times of India]]
  | access-date = 15 Jan 2012}}</ref>
|Third female consul general of the Chennai post
|-
|24
|[[File:Phillip A Min cg min-350x260.png|90px]]
|Phillip A. Min
|18 September 2014 – January 2017<ref name="Hindu_PhillipMin">{{cite news | last = PTI | title = Phillip Min takes over as US Consul-General in Chennai | newspaper = Business Line | location = Chennai | publisher = The Hindu | date = 18 September 2014 | url = http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/states/phillip-min-takes-over-as-us-consulgeneral-in-chennai/article6422616.ece | access-date = 13 Jan 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last = George | first = Daniel P. | title = Phillip Min assumes charge as US consul general in Chennai | newspaper = The Times of India | location = Chennai | publisher = The Times Group | date = 18 September 2014 | url = http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Phillip-Min-assumes-charge-as-US-consul-general-in-Chennai/articleshow/42798916.cms | access-date = 13 Jan 2015}}</ref>
|
|-
|25
|[[File:Robert G Burgess.png|90px]]
|Robert G. Burgess
|4 August 2017 – September 2020<ref name="TOI_RobertBurgess">{{cite news
  | last = Vinayashree 
  | first = J. 
  | title = Robert Burgess takes charge as US consul general in Chennai 
  | newspaper = The Times of India
  | location = Chennai
  | publisher = The Times Group
  | date = 7 August 2017
  | url = https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/robert-burgess-takes-charge-as-us-consul-general-in-chennai/articleshow/59957113.cms
  | access-date = 24 February 2019}}</ref>
|
|-
|26
|[[File:CG-Judith-Ravin-square-347x433.jpg|90px]]
|Judith Ravin
|6 September 2020–present<ref name="IE_JudithRavin">{{cite news
  | title = Happy to represent US in South India: Consul General 
  | newspaper = The New Indian Express
  | location = Chennai
  | publisher = Express Publications
  | date = 8 September 2020
  | url = https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2020/sep/08/happy-to-represent-us-in-south-india-consul-general-2193905.html
  | access-date = 6 October 2020}}</ref>
|Fourth female consul general of the Chennai post
|-
|}

==The American Library==
[[File:LibrarylogoNov1209.jpg|thumb|Logo of the American Library]]
The American Library is located in the Consulate premises and was founded in 1947 as part of American Consulate at Dare House with a collection of 800 books. Later, the library along with the [[United States Information Service]] (USIS) moved to the Vummudiar building at 162 Mount Road, with a small reading room with attached library. In 1951, the library was again shifted to the Addison Building on Mount Road. Libraries in [[Bangalore]], [[Hyderabad, India|Hyderabad]], [[Trivandrum]] and [[Guntur]] were organized under USIS Madras in the 1950s, and after the closure of all the regional libraries in 1969, the Chennai American Library started serving patrons throughout [[South India]]. Since 1969, the current American Consulate General building became the permanent home for the library. Ambassador Chester Bowles, who formally opened the new building, called it the 'highest point in the deep friendship and close relations between India and the U.S.' In 2000s, the library began taking materials to people by organizing road shows and traveling exhibitions in several South Indian cities. In September 2004, the Chennai American Library established an American Corner in Bangalore in partnership with the Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan. In January 2008, the library participated in the annual [[Chennai Book Fair]]. Of the 700,000 visitors who attended the book fair, over 8,000 people visited the American Library stall and 438 signed up for new library memberships.<ref name="60YearOfServiceInSouthIndia">{{cite web
  | title = 60 Years of Service in South India
  | work = The American Library Newsletter
  | publisher = US Consulate Chennai
  | url = http://chennai.usconsulate.gov/pdfs/newsletter-janmar08.pdf
  | access-date = 8 Sep 2012
  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111015014836/http://chennai.usconsulate.gov/pdfs/newsletter-janmar08.pdf
  | archive-date = 15 October 2011
  | url-status = dead
  }}</ref>

Presently, the library has a collection of over 14,000 books, 140 journals, U.S. Government publications, reports, newspapers and others, in addition to access to more than 10,000 full-texts of journals and 30,000 other electronic documents.<ref name="CGUS_USAPopularDestination"/><ref name="LibraryCollection">{{cite web
  | title = Collection
  | publisher = US Consulate Chennai
  | url = http://chennai.usconsulate.gov/collection.html
  | access-date = 16 Jan 2012
  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120127071357/http://chennai.usconsulate.gov/collection.html
  | archive-date = 27 January 2012
  | url-status = dead
  }}</ref> The collection is particularly strong in the areas of [[American studies]], [[American literature]], [[management]], [[law]], [[international relations]], [[environmental studies]], and [[English as a second language]].<ref name="60YearOfServiceInSouthIndia"/> The collection can be accessed through the computerized Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC), which contains the complete holdings of all the four American Libraries in India in Chennai, Kolkata, [[Mumbai]], and [[American Library (New Delhi)|New Delhi]], available on the [[World Wide Web]].<ref>{{cite web| title =The American Library| publisher =US Consulate Kolkata| url =http://kolkata.usconsulate.gov/amlibkolkata.html| access-date =20 Jan 2012| url-status =dead| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20110719112147/http://kolkata.usconsulate.gov/amlibkolkata.html| archive-date =2011-07-19}}</ref> The library functions from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm on all days except Sundays. The library also has an office of the U.S.–India Educational Foundation functioning on second and fourth Saturdays of the month.<ref name="LibraryNewsletter_OpenOnSaturdays"/>

Since 11 April 2009, the library is open to public on Saturdays, after nearly a decade.<ref name="LibraryNewsletter_OpenOnSaturdays"/> On 31 May 2012, Consul General Jennifer McIntyre launched a new, bi-monthly e-newsletter at the American Library, which aimed to provide updates on new books, articles, and documentaries, as well as list additions to the library's electronic collection of books and articles.

===Events===
The American Center and the American Library together host several cultural events. The library also hosts ''Saturday Matinee'', a popular event on Saturday mornings in which American movies are shown for the public and members of library inside the center.<ref name="LibraryNewsletter_OpenOnSaturdays">{{cite journal
 | title = American Library Is Now Open On Saturdays
 | journal = The American Library Newsletter
 | publisher = US Consulate Chennai
 | date = April–June 2009
 | url = http://chennai.usconsulate.gov/pdfs/newsletterapriljune09.pdf
 | access-date = 6 Sep 2012
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111015023300/http://chennai.usconsulate.gov/pdfs/newsletterapriljune09.pdf
 | archive-date = 15 October 2011
 | url-status = dead
 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web
  | title = Saturday Matinee
  | publisher = US Consulate Chennai
  | url = http://chennai.usconsulate.gov/satmatinee.html
  | access-date = 20 Jan 2012
  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090427075429/http://chennai.usconsulate.gov/satmatinee.html
  | archive-date = 27 April 2009
  | url-status = dead
  }}</ref>

==Programs==
In 2001, the Global AIDS Program (GAP) of the [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] (CDC), an agency within the [[Department of Health and Human Services]], opened its office in Chennai to prevent the [[HIV epidemic]] in India in partnership with National AIDS Control Program.<ref name="USConsulate_OfficesAndDepartments">{{cite web
  | title = Offices and Departments
  | publisher = US Consulate Chennai
  | url = http://chennai.usconsulate.gov/offices_and_departments.html
  | access-date = 16 Feb 2014
  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140313054535/http://chennai.usconsulate.gov/offices_and_departments.html
  | archive-date = 13 March 2014
  | url-status = dead
  }}</ref>

==Incidents==
In January 1998, a small bomb was detonated under the [[Anna Flyover|Gemini Flyover]] near the Consulate building.<ref>{{cite web
  | last = Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) 
  | title = India 2012 OSAC Crime and Safety Report: Chennai
  | publisher = U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security
  | date = 5 April 2012
  | url = https://www.osac.gov/Pages/ContentReportDetails.aspx?cid=12324
  | access-date = 31 Jul 2012}}</ref>

In 2011, U.S. Vice-Consul Maureen Chao was criticised for her controversial remark on the complexion of the local people.<ref>{{cite news
 | title = US diplomat in row over 'skin dirty & dark like Tamilians' remark
 | location = Chennai
 | date = 13 August 2011
 | url = http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-08-13/us/29883784_1_tamilians-remarks-diplomat
 | archive-url = https://archive.today/20130103082534/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-08-13/us/29883784_1_tamilians-remarks-diplomat
 | url-status = dead
 | archive-date = 3 January 2013
 | newspaper = [[The Times of India]]
 | access-date = 8 Aug 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
 | title = Racist remarks row: US diplomat to leave Chennai
 | location = Chennai
 | date = 26 August 2011 
 | url = http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-08-26/india/29930742_1_remarks-diplomat-chennai
 | archive-url = https://archive.today/20140213173853/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-08-26/india/29930742_1_remarks-diplomat-chennai
 | url-status = dead
 | archive-date = 13 February 2014
 | newspaper = [[The Times of India]]
 | access-date = 13 Feb 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
 | title = US ConGen Chennai: "Dirty and Dark" Tamil Remark Lands US Diplomat in Very Hot Water 
 | newspaper = DiploPundit 
 | location = Chennai
 | publisher = DiploPundit.net 
 | date = 15 August 2011 
 | url = http://diplopundit.net/2011/08/15/us-congen-chennai-dirty-and-dark-tamil-remark-lands-us-diplomat-in-very-hot-water/
 | access-date = 13 Feb 2014}}</ref>

On 14 September 2012, the Consulate was [[Chennai Protest of Innocence of Muslims|attacked by a group of protesters]], when a protest by [[Islam]]ic organisations against controversial American film ''[[Innocence of Muslims]]'' turned violent, following which the Consulate shut down its visa section for two days on 17 and 18 September.<ref>{{cite news
 | last = Peter
 | first = Petlee
 | title = Anti-film protesters target U.S. Consulate in Chennai
 | newspaper = The Hindu
 | location = Chennai
 | date = 15 September 2012
 | url = http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/article3898101.ece
 | access-date = 20 Sep 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
 | title = US consulate in Chennai shuts down visa section for 2 days following protests over anti-Islam film
 | location = Chennai
 | date = 17 September 2012
 | url = http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-09-17/india/33902063_1_protests-over-anti-islam-film-consulate-visa-applicants
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130128153654/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-09-17/india/33902063_1_protests-over-anti-islam-film-consulate-visa-applicants
 | url-status = dead
 | archive-date = 28 January 2013
 | newspaper = [[The Times of India]]
 | access-date = 20 Sep 2012}}</ref> The attack resulted in injuries to twenty-five protesters.<ref name="TOI">{{cite news |title=US consulate targeted in Chennai over anti-Prophet Muhammad film |first=Daniel P |last=George |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-09-14/chennai/33843064_1_consulate-anti-islam-film-ban-film |date=September 14, 2012 |access-date=September 14, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121021091938/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-09-14/chennai/33843064_1_consulate-anti-islam-film-ban-film |archive-date=October 21, 2012 |newspaper=[[The Times of India]] |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In November 2014, a terror plot allegedly by [[Pakistan]]'s [[Inter-Services Intelligence|Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)]] to execute terror strikes in the Chennai Consulate General was foiled by the Indian authorities. The plot was code named "wedding hall" which was to be executed by two terrorists called "cooks" who were to gain entry into India from [[Maldives]]. The bomb devices that were to be planted at the Consulate General were code named "Spice".<ref>{{cite news
 | last = PTI 
 | title = Terror plot to attack in Chennai codenamed 'wedding hall' 
 | newspaper = Sify News 
 | location = New Delhi 
 | publisher = sify.com 
 | date = 1 December 2014 
 | url = http://www.sify.com/mobile/news/terror-plot-to-attack-in-chennai-codenamed-wedding-hall-news-national-ombpk0dfbfaad.html
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150325155928/http://www.sify.com/mobile/news/terror-plot-to-attack-in-chennai-codenamed-wedding-hall-news-national-ombpk0dfbfaad.html
 | url-status = dead
 | archive-date = 25 March 2015
 | access-date = 25 Dec 2014}}</ref>

In December 2015, [[2015 Chennai floods|floods covered the city]], including the consulate, which reportedly had up to 4 feet of water in the lower floors. Pictures on the walls of the consulate depict this event.{{cn|date=December 2019}}

==See also==

* [[List of diplomatic missions in Chennai]]
* [[India–United States relations]]
* [[List of diplomatic missions of the United States]]
* [[Foreign policy of the United States]]
* [[Foreign relations of India]]
* [[Embassy of the United States, New Delhi]]
* [[Consulate General of the United States, Hyderabad]]
* [[Consulate General of the United States, Mumbai]]
* [[Consulate General of the United States, Kolkata]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Muthiah, S. (Ed.). (2008). ''Madras, Chennai: A 400-year Record of the First City of Modern India'' (Volume 1). Chennai: Palaniappa Brothers. {{ISBN|978-81-8379-468-8}}. https://books.google.com/books?id=tbR_LLkqdI8C&pg=PA214&lpg=PA214&dq=William+Abbott,+American+consular+agent&source=bl&ots=1KP69GHfKA&sig=t2dT9JK89nrU5XQGpdBdCbS_jVo&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjJnaXWsojdAhXFgI8KHVh6DlQQ6AEwBXoECAMQAQ#v=onepage&q=William%20Abbott%2C%20American%20consular%20agent&f=false

==External links==
* [https://in.usembassy.gov/embassy-consulates/chennai/ Official U.S. Consulate General Chennai website]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140223075402/http://www.buyusa.gov/india/americanbusinesscorners/index.asp Official U.S. Commercial Service South India]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110531204433/http://amlibindia.state.gov/ Catalog of library material available at Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai and New Delhi]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110204070709/http://iaccindia.com/page.asp?pageid=92 Official website of Indo-American Chamber of Commerce Tamil Nadu Branch]

{{Diplomatic missions of the United States}}
{{Diplomatic missions in India}}
{{India–United States relations}}
{{coord|13.052405|80.251932|display=title}}

[[Category:Diplomatic missions of the United States|India]]
[[Category:Diplomatic missions in Chennai|United States]]
[[Category:1794 establishments in India]]
[[Category:India–United States relations]]