White House Approbation, 1953

The White House receives many inquiries and comments from Congress and the public.  In today’s world, the President’s White House public engagement and communications staffs handle much of the work of responding to those missives.  In the past, however, most of that work was farmed out to the various agencies in the Executive Branch.  Inquiries … Continue reading White House Approbation, 1953

Foreign Policy Fallout From CIA Funding Disclosures, 1967

In mid-February 1967, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Chicago Tribune published articles revealing that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had been supporting various international youth groups and student organizations with financial assistance.  As a Cold War measure, the U.S. Government, through the CIA, had been funding those private organizations to help … Continue reading Foreign Policy Fallout From CIA Funding Disclosures, 1967

The World Reacts to the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Again.

In the aftermath of the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln on April 14, 1865, the Department of State received a cascade of condolences and expressions of grief from around the world.  Those messages came from government officials, major institutions, newspapers, and private citizens.  Subsequently, the Department published those communications as an appendix to the then-new … Continue reading The World Reacts to the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Again.

President Johnson’s View of Diplomats and Diplomatic Work, 1965

A May 1965, letter that Deputy Under Secretary of State for Administration William J. Crockett sent to American ambassadors overseas provides unique insight into President Lyndon Johnson’s attitudes towards the work of the Foreign Service and its domestic U.S. context.  As the Deputy Under Secretary of State for Administration, Crockett was the senior official in the … Continue reading President Johnson’s View of Diplomats and Diplomatic Work, 1965

Department of State Central Files, 1789-1910 Available Online: An Omnibus

Over the past few years, the National Archives has digitized and made available online through the National Archives Catalog many important records of the Department of State.  The records consist largely of the various series of records that constitute the Department’s central files for the period from 1789 to 1910.  As those records went online, … Continue reading Department of State Central Files, 1789-1910 Available Online: An Omnibus

man w/sunglasses on, no shirt, sitting at piano

Isaac Hayes Gets a B-, 1976

The singer and actor Isaac Hayes had a distinctive voice.  When he sang or when he spoke, it was unmistakably him.  Hayes was a singer, songwriter, composer, and actor.  He was a major contributor to the “Memphis Sound” of the 1960s and 1970s.  Hayes is perhaps best known for writing and performing the theme song … Continue reading Isaac Hayes Gets a B-, 1976

Memorializing James Longstreet, 1941

In 1941, Helen Dortch Longstreet, widow of Confederate general James Longstreet, and the the Longstreet Memorial Association were planning for the placement of a memorial to the general on the Gettysburg battlefield.  That organization had been “organized on the Gettysburg field by the Veterans of Longstreet’s command during the seventy-fifth anniversary celebration of the battle” … Continue reading Memorializing James Longstreet, 1941

Onoda of the Jungle

At the end of World War II, some Japanese soldiers retreated into the jungle and continued to “fight,” not believing the call for surrender by the Emperor.  One of the most famous and longest of those fighters was Hiroo Onoda. Hiroo Onoda, c.1944 (courtesy wikimedia) Onoda, a Japanese army lieutenant, was sent to Lubang Island … Continue reading Onoda of the Jungle

Let’s Talk About Détente, 1977

In mid-July 1977, Nathaniel Davis, the U.S. ambassador to Switzerland, was contacted by representatives of the Central Studio of Documentary Films in Moscow about sitting for an interview about “détente.” Ambassador Davis reported the contact in a telegram to the Department of State, copied to the U.S. embassy in Moscow for information.  In discussing the … Continue reading Let’s Talk About Détente, 1977

Presidential Humor, 1944

On April 12, 1944, the U.S. legation in Jidda, Saudi Arabia, dispatched a despatch to the Department of State.  Enclosed was a sealed envelope containing a letter from King Ibn Saud to President Franklin D. Roosevelt.  The legation was not provided with a copy of the letter, so it could not provide a translation along … Continue reading Presidential Humor, 1944