Here is the untold story of how, in the wake of independence in July 1946, the U.S. Department of State and selected U.S. Foreign Service posts trained the first officer corps of the Philippine Foreign Service, affectionately dubbed the “State Department Boys.” These pioneer Filipino diplomats eventually played pivotal roles in  Philippine diplomacy and helped the fledgling Philippine Republic find its place in the community of nations.

Marciano de Borja’s thoroughly researched study examines U.S. efforts to ensure the smooth transition of the Philippines from a colony to an independent state. By helping to set up the Department of Foreign Affairs and its Foreign Service and developing a core of professional diplomats, the United States ensured that the Philippines could hold its own in the international arena. The State Department Boys vividly recounts the American diplomatic and consular practices that permeated and shaped the Philippine Foreign Service during its formative years and the little-known but pivotal roles the State Department Boys played, especially in the expansion of the Philippine Foreign Service during the Cold War.