May 1 2026
William Harrop Award
Best Student Writing in American Diplomacy
To honor the late Ambassador William C. Harrop, long-time board member and benefactor of American Diplomacy Publications, ADP will award an annual $500 prize to the undergraduate or graduate student who writes an outstanding article, published in American Diplomacy. The board will consider the piece’s contribution to understanding and advancing American diplomacy, its clarity of writing and thought, and its relevance to current world issues. The author must be a student at a U.S. college or university. Submissions, of approximately 1500-2000 words, may be made on a rolling basis as American Diplomacy publishes quarterly editions. Submissions should be emailed to editor@americandiplomacy.org.
Submission guidelines can be found here.
About William Harrop
Ambassador William (“Bill”) Harrop, who died in June 2025, was a Baltimore native and Harvard graduate and served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean War. In a career of 39 years as a Foreign Service Officer, Harrop became Inspector General at the Department of State and Ambassador to five countries: Guinea, Kenya, Seychelles, Zaire (Democratic Republic of the Congo since 1997), and Israel. In retirement, he played a crucial role in establishing the National Museum of American Diplomacy. Among other honors, Harrop received the Foreign Service Cup, the Presidential Distinguished Service Award, the State Department Distinguished Honor Award, and the American Foreign Service Association’s award for Lifetime Contributions to American Diplomacy.
May 2026
The Editor’s Page
Commentary
Lessons Learned from Middle East Diplomacy by Daniel C. Kurtzer
The Regime Change America Got Right by Christopher Datta
Planlosigkeit in the Persian Gulf by Luke Zahner
Redesigning US Assistance to Africa in the Post-USAID Era by Mark G. Wentling
Eisenhower’s Public Affairs Legacy by Rick Ruth
Diplomatic Clarity and the Western Sahara File: Lessons from US Envoys by Mohamed Elbaikam
Eyewitness
The Cardinal’s Bath by Donald Kursch
Linguistic Competence and Diplomacy: Was Bulgaria Really the Sixteenth Soviet Republic? by Jonathan Rickert
The Diplomat as Reality TV: How Accurate Is It? by Melissa Clegg-Tripp
Moments in Diplomacy (Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training)
ADST’s recent newsletter draws from its oral history collection to produce a timely look at the 1973 Arab oil embargo and its effects.
https://mailchi.mp/6c6ae3549c1c/arab-oil-embargo
Links
We are facing defeat in Iran, this author draws on Clausewitz to say, because our leaders resorted to the tactical instrument—military force—without defining the strategic objective it would be used to achieve.
Tactical Success, Strategic Failure? Washington Walks the Path to Defeat in Iran
In the March-April issue of the Foreign Service Journal, Ambassador Ronald E. Neuman, president of the American Academy of Diplomacy, warns that the current administration’s policies are endangering our professional diplomatic service.
Our Professional Foreign Service is in Danger
From Our Archives
We have selected articles dealing with US policy in the Middle East, particularly the evolution of relations with Iran. Our authors provide valuable insights into the history of the relationship and assessments of what might have been done better to prevent today’s crisis in the region.
Countering Iranian Malign Influence, April 2009
How to Handle a Nuclear Iran, April 2011
The Limits- of Diplomacy, February 2011
The Islamic Republic of Iran: The Genesis of its Foreign Policy since 1979, November 2015
Preventing an Israeil-Iran War, May 2019
Iran: A Report on DACORS 2025 Annual Conference, October 2025