Prominent Bulgarian and professor at Robert College, Stefan Panaretov (1853-1931) became the first Special Envoy and Minister Plenipotentiary of Bulgaria to the U.S. after presenting his Letter of Credence to President Woodrow Wilson on December 10, 1913.

Since the summer of 1918, Stefan Panaretov remains the only official diplomatic representative of a country, member of the Triple Axis , that continues his work in the capital of the United States. Upon his retirement on June 1, 1925, Panaretov and his wife chose to remain in Washington where he planned to devote himself to lecturing at George Washington University.

He passed away on October 19, 1931. In his will he left 2,523,450 lev to the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences , with which it established a library and reading room named after him for use by professors and students of the University of Sofia and seating thiry-two persons.