Founded in 1986, ADST is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, 501(c)3 educational organization that has conducted and posted over 2,500 transcripts of oral history interviews of former diplomats on its website – the world’s largest diplomatic oral history collection. ADST’s collection is a unique and priceless historical record of post-World War II U.S. diplomacy, praised by scholars, educators, and diplomatic practitioners alike.
Our Mission: Capturing, Preserving, and Sharing
“Capturing, preserving, and sharing the experiences of America’s diplomats.”
ADST is committed to strengthening public appreciation of diplomacy’s contribution to America’s national interests, and enriching the professional knowledge of diplomatic practitioners. We do this by:
– Recording the oral histories of diplomats, family members, and others
– Facilitating the preparation and publication of books and memoirs
– Contributing to diplomatic case studies and educational materials
– Supporting the work of the Foreign Service Institute
Our Popular Products and Projects
– The ADST.org website attracts over one million visits annually – everyone from journalists to practicing diplomats, distinguished academics and students from around the world.
– Our web series of 800 “Moments in Diplomatic History” captures key historical events – and humorous aspects of diplomatic life.
– Our oral histories cover almost eight decades, including histories of pioneering African-American, Hispanic, and Women diplomats.
– Our 70+ podcasts are available through iTunes, Spotify, and Google Podcasts.
– ADST has facilitated the publication of over 100 books by members of the Foreign Service.
– We are committed to educational outreach. ADST’s website has sample lesson plans for high schools and universities on a broad range of topics. We also work closely with local and national partners to strengthen the understanding of and support for diplomacy in the education system.
– We support the work of the State Department’s Foreign Service Institute, providing critical source material for those who are training today’s diplomats – and tomorrow’s.