Michael Rives joined the Foreign Service in 1950 and served as Deputy Chief of Mission in Brazzaville from 1963 to…
Captive in the Congo
Back to Diplomats and Diplomacy Captive in the Congo: A Consul’s Return to the Heart of Darkness “Hoyt’s book is…
Documentaries for Diplomacy: African Cinema in the 1960s
When it comes to determining the world’s greatest films, we may focus on Italian giants of neorealism like Bicycle Thieves…
From Vice-Consul to Ambassador: The Story of William Swing’s Return to South Africa
When William Lacy Swing left Port Elizabeth, South Africa in 1966, he vowed to never return until the end of…
A Whole New World: Life as a New Foreign Service Spouse
Life as a Foreign Service spouse is constantly evolving, particularly for Foreign Service wives. While the State Department is now…
Only the Good Die Young—Attending Bobby Kennedy’s Funeral
Nineteen sixty-eight was one of the most chaotic years in American history. As the unpopular Vietnam War raged on, protests…
An Embassy in Brazzaville During the Time of Independence
Prior to mid-August 1960, the United States had limited diplomatic activity in the French African colonies. However, within a 48-hour…
“Encouraging” Soviet Workmen in 1984—Vodka, Cigarettes, and Snow Plowing in Soviet Russia
The currency of Soviet Russia was the ruble—or was it? When General Services Officer Robert Weisberg was posted to the…
Thanksgiving: How U.S. Diplomats Celebrate an American Tradition Around the World
Gobble, gobble! Thanksgiving is a unique American holiday — one that U.S. embassies, foreign service families, and American expats of…
Frank Carlucci: Helping Block the Communists in Portugal
After decades of right-wing dictatorship, Portugal faced a threat of a takeover by communists in the mid-1970s. Ambassador Frank Carlucci,…