Press Releases: Office of the Historian, Bureau of Public Affairs Release of Foreign Relations of the United States, 1917-1972, Volume VI, Public Diplomacy, 1961-1963

The Department of State released today Foreign Relations of the United States, 1917–1972, Volume VI, Public Diplomacy, 1961–1963.

This volume documents the public diplomacy efforts of the John F. Kennedy administration. A major emphasis of the volume is the role the United States Information Agency (USIA), led by Edward R. Murrow during this period, played in presenting U.S. foreign policy objectives to the world during a time of social change within the United States. The volume illustrates how USIA and the Department of State pursued public diplomacy against the backdrop of crises, including the Bay of Pigs invasion, the construction of the Berlin Wall, Laos, Vietnam, and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Additional documentation chronicles the Kennedy administration’s attempts to develop a national cultural policy, the importance of overseas polling, and the Department of State’s educational exchange activities.

This volume was compiled and edited by Kristin L. Ahlberg and Charles V. Hawley. The volume and this press release are available exclusively on the Office of the Historian website at https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1917-72PubDipv06. For further information, contact history@state.gov.

The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department.
External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.