This from our friends in Washington, forwarded by retired senior U. S. diplomat Charles Stuart Kennedy, head of the Foreign Affairs Oral History program. — Ed.
“The Association’s programs for the training of U.S. diplomats—and especially the sense of history that the programs convey—provide important support for the Foreign Service.”
—George P. Shultz, former U.S. Secretary of State
The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training (ADST) is a non-governmental organization whose mission is to enhance the effectiveness of American diplomacy. It expands knowledge of and information about the prewash and history of American diplomacy available to successive generations of U.S. diplomats. It complements the work of the Foreign Service Institute and other government training facilities by providing valuable resources and tools to U.S. diplomats that the U.S. Government does not fund. It is the only private organization in the United States dedicated primarily to preparation of comprehensive records of modern U.S. diplomatic history for use by American diplomats and also by the public and scholars interested in foreign relations.
Founded in 1986, ADST is located in Arlington, Virginia, where its facilities include a research center, a conference room and an extensive foreign affairs oral history collection. Although ADST is neither part of, nor funded by, the United States Government, its premises are on the campus of the National Foreign Affairs Training Center (NFATC), home of the U.S. Department of State’s Foreign Service Institute (FSI).
Other ADST projects include exhibits and displays covering the people and events of U.S. diplomatic history, policy roundtables, language teaching awards, and accommodation of occasional scholars-in-residence.
The ADST research center provides working facilities for those who have participated in U.S. foreign relations and wish to record and analyze their experiences. The center is anchored by the Foreign Affairs Oral History collection comprised mainly of interviews with former foreign affairs practitioners. Begun in 1985 and headed by Charles Stuart Kennedy, the collection includes an extensive array of tapes and transcripts, as well as unpublished memoirs. The research center also houses a diplomatic studies publication program, cosponsored by Diplomatic and Consular Officers, Retired (DACOR). An active membership, a distinguished board of directors, and project assistance from various foundations help maintain these and other programs under the direction of ADST’s president, Ambassador Edward M. Rowell.
The Association is a non-profit corporation eligible to receive contributions deductible for federal income tax purposes under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Programs
Foreign Affairs Oral History Collection. With over 1100 interviews completed, the ADST oral history collection is the largest in the foreign affairs field. It adds about 80 new histories each year. In 200O, some 900 oral histories recorded from 1986 to 1998 are available on CDROM for the first time. The CD-ROM, with its advanced search engine, is a unique and invaluable research tool for all who are interested in foreign affairs and the study of contemporary U.S. diplomatic history. As the collection grows, updated editions will be released.
ADST Research Center. To assist ADST research fellows, the Association provides facilities with computer work stations and research materials, including the oral history collection and unpublished memoirs, supplemented by the nearby Stephen Low Library of the Foreign Service Institute. Inquiries and applications are invited.
ADST-DACOR Publications Program. In 1995 the ADST and DACOR launched a joint publications program with an illustrated booklet, A Brief History of United State* Diplomacy. The inaugural book in the ADST-DACOR Diplomats and Diplomacy Series, “Emperor Dead ” and Other Historic American Diplomatic Dispatches, compiled by Peter Eicher, presents selected reports sent from abroad to the Department of State from 1776 to 1965. Subsequent works include John Holdridge’s Crossing the Divide: An Insider’s Account of Normalization of U.S.-China Relations and Escape with Honor: My Last Hours in Vietnam by Terry McNamara, with Adrian Hill. Details on these and other forthcoming books in the ADST-DACOR series are available from the Association’s publishing coordinator, Margery Boichel Thompson. ADST and DACOR members receive substantial discounts on series books.
Exhibits on the History of U.S. Diplomacy. The ADST organizes exhibits to display the history of over two centuries of U.S. diplomacy, assembling objects of historical value and assisting FSI in funding and creating displays to strengthen awareness of the history of U.S. foreign affairs. The Association’s first exhibit, entitled “A Brief History of American Diplomacy,” has been displayed at the NFATC, the National War College, and the main floor public area of the State Department. Other objects ADST has donated for permanent display at NFATC include paintings, sculptures, and historical artifacts.
Language Teacher Awards. Each year the Association presents cash awards for excellence in teaching to selected language instructors on the FSI faculty. Funded by the Una Chapman Cox Foundation, which has supported the program since 1986, the awards help FSI to attract and retain high-quality language instructors to train U.S. diplomats assigned abroad.
Policy Roundtables and Seminars. The ADST organizes policy roundtables on key foreign policy issues, bringing together government off~cials and experts from the private sector in frank and informal discussion. FSI administers the sessions. Support has come from the Carnegie Corporation, the Una Chapman Cox Foundation, the German Marshall Fund, and the United States Institute of Peace. These roundtables have frequently helped to shape U.S. policy thinking on critical areas such as Iraq, the Persian Gulf, Algeria, Korea, and Caspian oil.
Membership
The ADST welcomes new members who wish to use its reso Èurces or who wish to support its goals of greater understanding of U.S. diplomacy and enhanced diplomatic effectiveness. Members receive the semiannual ADST Newsletter, information on publications and Association activities, and discounts on all ADST publications. Contributions and membership fees are tax-deductible. Regular membership is $50 per year. Fellows of the Association contribute $1,000 per year. Student membership is $25 per year.
For further information on the ADST and how to become a member, visit the ADST web site at: www.adst.org or write to:
Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training
4000 Arlington Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22204 USA
or you may phone the ADST at (703) 302-6990 or send a fax to (703) 302-6799.