Haji Washington

Hajji Hossein-Gholi Khan Noori (1849–1937),[1] also known as Hajji Washington (Persian: حاجی واشنگتن), was an Iranian politician, cabinet minister, and diplomat and belonged to one of the oldest aristocratic families in Persia - the Khadjenouris, tracing their history back to over one thousand years.

[2] He was appointed the first ambassador to the United States in 1889, where he kept a scrapbook of newspaper cuttings from the American press about the reigning monarch Nasir-ad-din Shah.

After his return from the United States, he served as the minister of public works ("favaayed-e aamme") and married Nasir-ad-din Shah’s daughter.

In 1885, when the Democratic Party took over the administration, Benjamin, the first US ambassador in Iran, resigned his post conforming with diplomatic practice.

Haji Hossain-Gholi Khan was appointed as Minister Plenipotentiary and Envoy Extraordinary to Washington [3] He selected his staff of ten of the English-speaking members of the Iranian Foreign Ministry.