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
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
Explore Our Popular Resources & Projects
– 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.
