"It is a matter of history-- that secret history of a nation
which is often so much more intimate and interesting
than its public chronicles...."
--Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans
U.S. State Department
Advisory Committee on
Historical Diplomatic Documentation
The State Department Historical Advisory Committee oversees the preparation of the Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS) series, the official historical record of U.S. foreign policy, which dates back to the Abraham Lincoln Administration. In particular, the Committee is obliged by statute (Public Law 102-138) to ensure that the FRUS series constitutes a "thorough, accurate, and reliable documentary record of major United States foreign policy decisions." Inevitably, this statutory obligation brings the Committee into regular conflict with the tendency of certain agencies to resist declassification of their records. Such conflicts are reflected in many of the Committee documents presented below.
Crisis in the Historian's Office (2008-2009)
- Inspection of the Bureau of Public Affairs, Office of the Inspector General, Department of State, February 2010
- Management Review of the Office of the Historian, Office of the Inspector General, Department of State, May 2009
- Report to the Secretary of State of the Review Panel Examining the Impact on the Foreign Relations Series of Current Disputes Related to the Historical Office, report of the "Kimball Committee," January 13, 2009
- Letter from Wm. Roger Louis to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, November 28, 2008
- An analysis of the problems of the Historian's Office from the inside
- Memorandum from Thomas Schwartz to Secretary Rice, November 17, 2008
- Reply to Prof. Louis from Asst Secretary of State Sean McCormack, December 9, 2008
- Annotated version of the 2007 draft report of the Historical Advisory Committee, with commentary and corrections from the Historian's Office
- Letter from Edward Rhodes to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, December 2, 2008
- Statement of Thomas Schwartz to the Historical Advisory Committee, December 10, 2008
- Statement of Thomas Schwartz to the Historians Office Staff, December 10, 2008
Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes
Advisory Committee Annual Reports
- State Department Historical Advisory Committee annual report for CY 2020, May 2021
- State Department Historical Advisory Committee annual report for CY 2019, April 2020
- State Department Historical Advisory Committee annual report for CY 2018, September 2019
- State Department Historical Advisory Committee annual report for CY 2017, August 2018
- State Department Historical Advisory Committee annual report for CY 2016, April 2017
- State Department Historical Advisory Committee annual report for CY 2015, May 2016
- State Department Historical Advisory Committee annual report for CY 2014, April 2015
- State Department Historical Advisory Committee annual report for CY 2013, April 2014
- State Department Historical Advisory Committee annual report for CY 2012, June 2013
- State Department Historical Advisory Committee annual report for CY 2011, June 2012
- State Department Historical Advisory Committee annual report for CY 2010, April 2011
- State Department Historical Advisory Committee annual report for CY 2009, August 2010
- State Department Historical Advisory Committee annual report for CY 2007, May 2008
- State Department Historical Advisory Committee annual report for CY 2006, July 2007
- State Department Historical Advisory Committee annual report for CY 2002, February 2003
- State Department Historical Advisory Committee annual report for CY 2001, February 2002
- State Department Historical Advisory Committee annual report for CY 2000, January 2001
- State Department Historical Advisory Committee annual report for FY 99, March 2000
- State Department Historical Advisory Committee annual report for FY 98, March 1999
- State Department Historical Advisory Committee annual report for FY 97, March 1998
- State Department Historical Advisory Committee annual report for FY 96, 26 June 1997
- State Department Historical Advisory Committee annual report for FY 95, May 1996
Foreign Relations Series
- Foreign Relations Series Production Chart, December 2001, Unpublished Johnson Administration Volumes (1964-1968) [MS Word file]
- Nixon-Ford Administration Volumes (1969-1976), as projected in December 2001 [MS Word file]
- Status of the Foreign Relations Series, anticipated publication schedule as of October 2001
- FRUS Volume XXVI, Indonesia; Malaysia-Singapore; Philippines, officially released August 8, 2001.
- Release of Foreign Relations Volume on Western Europe, 1964-1968, April 16, 2001.
- Release of Foreign Relations Volume on the Soviet Union, 1964-1968, February 21, 2001.
- Release of Foreign Relations Volume on South Asia, 1964-1968, December 4, 2000.
- Release of Foreign Relations Volume on the Near East Region; Arabian Peninsula, 1964-1968, December 4, 2000.
- Release of Foreign Relations Volume on Korea Region, 1964-1968, October 30, 2000.
- Release of Foreign Relations Volume on Southeast Asia Region, 1964-1968, September 21, 2000.
- Release of Foreign Relations Volume on Arab-Israeli Conflict, 1964-1967, April 3, 2000
- Release of Foreign Relations Volume on Iran, 1964-1968, November 18, 1999
- Volume on Energy Diplomacy and Global Issues, 1964-1968, August 25, 1999
- Release of Foreign Relations Volume on Germany and Berlin, 1964-1968, April 29, 1999
- FRUS Supplement on Cuba Published, December 31, 1998
- FRUS Supplement on Arms Control (1958-1960) Published, December 8, 1998
Other
- U.S. Covert Action in Bolivia, FY 1963-66, High Level Panel statement from FRUS, 1964-1968, vol. XXXI, September 2004
- Status of Johnson and Nixon Era FRUS High Level Panel Covert Action Cases, May 1999
- Note on U.S. Covert Action Programs from the FRUS editors, April 2001
- U.S. Covert Action in Italy, excerpts from FRUS 1964-1968, vol. XII
- Foreign Relations in the 21st Century: A Proposal, June 2, 1999
- Declassifying State Department Secrets, a report of the State Department Inspector General, September 1998
- Charter of the Advisory Committee on Historical Diplomatic Documentation, February 2, 2000
- Letter to CIA Concerning Declassification Failures, April 1, 1997
Resources
maintained by Steven Aftergood
Last updated May 13, 2021