Doodled!

The files of the Department of State (RG 59) do not include a great number of documents with doodles.  Perhaps that means government officials do not scribble on the documents that get filed.  Alternatively, they do not file the documents on which they have scribbled. Recently, while undertaking ad hoc maintenance work on some records, … Continue reading Doodled!

Recognition for a job well done, 1952

Employees in a bureaucracy do not always receive recognition for their contributions to the success of their institutions.  This is especially true in large agencies facing a constant barrage of activities such as the Department of State.  There are occasional exceptions to that rule.  One of those came about in early 1952 after the mid-January … Continue reading Recognition for a job well done, 1952

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

Guatemala, Great Britain, and the United States and Guatemala’s Claim to British Honduras (Belize), 1931-1948

Today’s post was written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, retired senior archivist from the National Archives at College Park. Guatemala, off and on for more than 100 years, claimed all or part of British Honduras (Belize), a British crown colony on the east coast of Central America, south of Mexico and east of Guatemala. Periodically Guatemala … Continue reading Guatemala, Great Britain, and the United States and Guatemala’s Claim to British Honduras (Belize), 1931-1948

The Pentagon Papers, 1971: Use By American Adversaries

Previous posts, described some of the Department of State’s actions relating to the publication of the “Pentagon Papers.”  One key point in the government’s argument against publication was that it would provide aid and comfort to America’s overseas opponents.  As the Department’s June 17 telegram about the repercussions of the publication of the documents predicted, … Continue reading The Pentagon Papers, 1971: Use By American Adversaries

Department of State Records Now Available Online: Despatches from Special Agents, Notes to Foreign Missions, and Notes from Foreign Consuls, 1789-1906

The National Archives is pleased to announce that more records of the Department of State have been digitized and are now available online through the National Archives Catalog.  This is the third in a series of occasional posts.  The first post described the microfilm digitization project and the first foreign affairs records made available through … Continue reading Department of State Records Now Available Online: Despatches from Special Agents, Notes to Foreign Missions, and Notes from Foreign Consuls, 1789-1906

A Founder of the United States Foreign Service Writes: Joseph Grew on the Importance of Diplomatic Service, 1921

Today's post was written by David Langbart, archivist in Textual Reference at the National Archives at College Park, MD. In August 1921, the Department of State sent a circular to all American diplomatic posts asking for answers to a multi-page questionnaire soliciting information to clarify “the needs of the Government in the matter of appropriations … Continue reading A Founder of the United States Foreign Service Writes: Joseph Grew on the Importance of Diplomatic Service, 1921

More Department of State Records Now Available Online: Consular Despatches, 1783-1906

Today's post was written by David Langbart, archivist in Textual Reference at the National Archives at College Park, MD. The National Archives is pleased to announce that additional records of the Department of State have been digitized and are now available online through the National Archives Catalog.  An earlier post described the microfilm digitization project … Continue reading More Department of State Records Now Available Online: Consular Despatches, 1783-1906

Now Available Online: Department of State Records, 1789-1906

Today's post was written by David Langbart, archivist in Textual Reference at the National Archives in College Park, MD. The National Archives is pleased to announce that many important records of the Department of State are being digitized and made available online through the National Archives Catalog.  The records consist largely of the various series … Continue reading Now Available Online: Department of State Records, 1789-1906

Space: The Final Frontier (this is not a Star Trek story)

Today’s post is written by David Langbart, an Archivist in the Textual Records Division at the National Archives at College Park. In any large organization, the location and size of office space is telling.  The large corner office, the office on the top floor, the office next to a senior official all connote power and … Continue reading Space: The Final Frontier (this is not a Star Trek story)