This year’s centennial of the creation of the modern Foreign Service has opened new audiences and creative avenues for sharing the expansive diplomatic oral history collection of the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training (ADST). We are using oral history excerpts and gathering new firsthand narratives to present and celebrate the contributions America’s diplomats have made to our country’s prosperity and security over the past 10 decades and build public support for diplomacy as a tool for advancing our national interests.
ABSTRACT: In 1924, the Rogers Act merged America’s diplomatic and consular services, laying the foundations for the Foreign Service as a career institution. To mark the centennial, ADST is drawing on our expansive diplomatic oral history collection and collecting new first hand accounts to strengthen public appreciation for the role diplomacy plays in advancing American security and prosperity. Oral history is proving to be an effective vehicle for humanizing the practice of diplomacy for audiences not typically focused on foreign policy issues, providing concrete examples of diplomats serving American citizens and interests abroad, and farmers, businesses and workers back home. ADST is contributing to civic education and building public support for the Foreign Service and American diplomacy.During the session, ADST will share insights from the following Foreign Service centennial year initiatives:Centennial Anthology - a book of the most notable excerpts from our 2,600 published diplomatic oral histories, covering 100 years of diplomacy around the globe. Century of Service and Sacrifice - a public awareness campaign to share narratives–gathered both from our oral history collection and from Foreign Service personnel–of diplomats making concrete contributions to American interests.“Moments in U.S. Diplomatic History” Centennial collection - an online and print compilation of the most compelling narratives from our archive of more than 1,000 “Moments” capturing diplomats’ experiences during historic or dramatic events around the world. U.S. Foreign Service Commemorative Coin - state-by-state oral history excerpts to help secure Congressional support for the minting of a commemorative coin marking the 100th anniversary of the Foreign Service. Discussion during the session will focus on innovative ways to use oral history excerpts to change public attitudes and the challenges of adapting oral histories to condensed formats. Audience members will leave with appreciation for the value of first-hand accounts in humanizing abstract concepts.
