Floor SpeechCeremonial2026-06-09

CELEBRATING THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF ADST

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On 2026-06-09, Representative Ami Bera (D-CA-6) delivered a floor speech titled "CELEBRATING THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF ADST" in the House.

Full Text

CELEBRATING THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF ADST

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 97 (Tuesday, June 9, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 97 (Tuesday, June 9, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E548] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] CELEBRATING THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF ADST ______ HON. AMI BERA of california in the house of representatives Tuesday, June 9, 2026 Mr. BERA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training (ADST), a non-partisan, non- governmental educational organization, that has been introducing Americans across the country to our Nation's diplomatic history for 40 years through its diplomatic oral history collection, book program, and other educational and outreach initiatives. In 1986, ADST began as the vision of then-Director of the Foreign Service Institute Stephen Low and Ambassador Richard Parker, with a mission to support the Institute's work. At the same time, newly retired Foreign Service Officer Charles Stuart Kennedy conceived the idea of recording oral histories of retired American diplomats and began capturing their experiences and insights. In 1988, Parker invited Kennedy to incorporate his oral history program into the Association's work, and ADST, as we know it today, was formed. In 1995, the ADST-DACOR book program was launched as a ``service to the Foreign Service.'' The goal was to help Foreign Service Officers write and publish books about diplomacy. Margery Boichel Thompson became ADST's Publishing Director, and under her expert guidance, the ADST-DACOR Diplomats and Diplomacy Book Series was born. The Memoirs and Occasional Papers series soon followed, then ADST's own imprint: Arlington Hall Press. Under Thompson's leadership, the ADST book program has grown into a respected source of books on diplomacy and the Foreign Service, with over 120 books, including many award winners. For more than three decades, the Foreign Affairs Oral History Program has been ADST's flagship initiative. With more than 3,100 oral histories, publicly available on the ADST website and at the Library of Congress, it captures over 100 years of U.S. diplomatic history and engagement with the world. Rich in historical insights and lessons learned, the archive has become a national treasure for congressional offices, current and aspiring diplomats, scholars, educators, students, and the broader American public. For four decades, the diplomatic practitioners and oral history experts who make up the ADST team and the hundreds of interns they have taken under their wings have helped preserve the experiences of American diplomacy for future generations. Whether through collecting and archiving oral history accounts, editing book manuscripts, sharing our Nation's diplomatic history with the American public, or supporting the National Foreign Affairs Training Center (NFATC), ADST's work grew from a simple vision into a dedicated and professional foreign affairs organization, With deep optimism, ADST will carry its mission forward into the next 40 years, ensuring the experiences and lessons of American diplomacy continue to be collected, preserved, and shared. ____________________

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CELEBRATING THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF ADST Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 97 (Tuesday, June 9, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 97 (Tuesday, June 9, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E548] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] CELEBRATING THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF ADST ______ HON. AMI BERA of california in the house of representatives Tuesday, June 9, 2026 Mr. BERA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training (ADST), a non-partisan, non- governmental educational organization, that has been introducing Americans across the country to our Nation's diplomatic history for 40 years through its diplomatic oral history collection, book program, and other educational and outreach initiatives. In 1986, ADST began as the vision of then-Director of the Foreign Service Institute Stephen Low and Ambassador Richard Parker, with a mission to support the Institute's work. At the same time, newly retired Foreign Service Officer Charles Stuart Kennedy conceived the idea of recording oral histories of retired American diplomats and began capturing their experiences and insights. In 1988, Parker invited Kennedy to incorporate his oral history program into the Association's work, and ADST, as we know it today, was formed. In 1995, the ADST-DACOR book program was launched as a ``service to the Foreign Service.'' The goal was to help Foreign Service Officers write and publish books about diplomacy. Margery Boichel Thompson became ADST's Publishing Director, and under her expert guidance, the ADST-DACOR Diplomats and Diplomacy Book Series was born. The Memoirs and Occasional Papers series soon followed, then ADST's own imprint: Arlington Hall Press. Under Thompson's leadership, the ADST book program has grown into a respected source of books on diplomacy and the Foreign Service, with over 120 books, including many award winners. For more than three decades, the Foreign Affairs Oral History Program has been ADST's flagship initiative. With more than 3,100 oral histories, publicly available on the ADST website and at the Library of Congress, it captures over 100 years of U.S. diplomatic history and engagement with the world. Rich in historical insights and lessons learned, the archive has become a national treasure for congressional offices, current and aspiring diplomats, scholars, educators, students, and the broader American public. For four decades, the diplomatic practitioners and oral history experts who make up the ADST team and the hundreds of interns they have taken under their wings have helped preserve the experiences of American diplomacy for future generations. Whether through collecting and archiving oral history accounts, editing book manuscripts, sharing our Nation's diplomatic history with the American public, or supporting the National Foreign Affairs Training Center (NFATC), ADST's work grew from a simple vision into a dedicated and professional foreign affairs organization, With deep optimism, ADST will carry its mission forward into the next 40 years, ensuring the experiences and lessons of American diplomacy continue to be collected, preserved, and shared. ____________________