Several Nevadans have served as United States diplomats. The earliest were known as ministers, a term that was confusing since it also applied to cabinet members in some nations and to diplomats of the second rank. It has given way to the now better-known term of ambassador.

Henry Worthington, Nevada's first member of the U.S. House of Representatives, was also Nevada's first ambassador. He served as minister to Uruguay and the Argentine Republic from 1868 to 1869.

Charles DeLong of Virginia City, a prominent Nevada Republican politician and son-in-law of Democratic Governor Lewis Bradley, served as minister to Japan from 1869 to 1873.

Rollin Daggett, former Comstock editor and one-term member of the U.S. House of Representatives, became minister to the Kingdom of Hawaii after defeat for reelection. He served from 1882 to 1885.

George Marye, a banker of Virginia City and San Francisco, served as ambassador to Russia from 1914 to 1916.

Jacob (Chic) Hecht was appointed ambassador to the Bahamas after he was defeated for reelection to the U.S. Senate. He served from 1989 to 1994.

Sig Rogich, a political consultant to the first President Bush, served briefly as ambassador to his native Iceland in 1992. He held the post for a few weeks and then rejoined the Bush campaign in September 1992.