Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and John Quincy Adams were among America's earliest diplomats, the first representatives appointed by the President of the United States. Later, the diplomatic service evolved into a small and narrowly specialized corps, separate from the consular service, which actively promoted American business, particularly shipping, around the world.

Today's modern Foreign Service, born in 1924 with the fusion of the diplomatic and consular services, now includes about 12,000 U.S. employees and 9,500 foreign nationals at some 165 embassies and 100 consulates abroad. That year, U.S. Rep. John Jacob Rogers of Massachusetts spearheaded the merger with his sponsorship of the Foreign Service Act (Rogers Act), which served to foster a greater sense of esprit de corps by folding both groups into a single merit-based recruitment and promotion system. Although Rogers had anticipated the Foreign Service would help fight a coming trade war, security concerns soon eclipsed trade worries as America subsequently became involved in World War II, conflicts in Korea and Vietnam, and the Cold War. Today, trade has again come to the forefront of Foreign Service goals, as personnel become more and more involved in putting U.S. economic interests first at U.S. embassies and consulates abroad.

The need for a corps of educated and trained diplomats was stated eloquently by the drafters of the Rogers Act: "The first responsibility of good government is to safeguard the security of the nation. The first line of defense in achieving this first objective ... is our diplomatic corps and those who direct and back it up in the Department of State . ... Because of the duties and responsibilities they undertake, because of the services they render to American individuals and American business interests, because of their vital role in the conduct of our foreign policy, we in the Congress should demand that the Service be attractive enough to get the highest type of American men and women into its ranks . ... The Foreign Service must compete successfully with other government agencies and private businesses to get the best persons to serve overseas."

Today's Foreign Service employee includes both Foreign Service officers (FSOs) and specialists, and represents a diversity of Americans - white, black, Asian, Hispanic and other ethnic backgrounds - and covers five foreign affairs agencies: the State Department, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S. Information Agency (USIA) - and its overseas unit, the U.S. Information Service (USIS) - the Foreign Commercial Service (FCS) and the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS). Frequently, FSOs are assigned to brief tours from one to three years at other agencies, including the National Security Council (NSC), the White House, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Department of Defense (DOD).

Foreign Service employees differ from Civil Service employees in their obligation to serve anywhere in the world. Though many qualified applicants apply to the Service after acquiring undergraduate and graduate degrees and language skills, neither a degree nor second language fluency is required to join. Today's FSOs in State and USIA enter the Service by passing a comprehensive written exam and a difficult oral exam. Typically 12,000 take the written exam. In 1995, only 90 new positions were available, a number that varies annually with the agencies' changing needs. The written examination tests an applicant's knowledge of foreign affairs, writing skills and management expertise. Those who pass that test submit to the more difficult oral assessment, which judges an applicant's ability to work with others, and to interpret and report on events. USAID's FSOs enter the system either through an entrance exam or, by virtue of their technical experience, are directly appointed into the system.

Typically, a Foreign Service employee serves for between 18 months and four years at each post in his career, after a period of training in the country's language, history and culture. Though FSOs develop expertise in specific regions of the world, their true specialties are in the skills of diplomacy, communication and negotiation.

Foreign Service specialists enter the Service through a separate process, which emphasizes their particular technical skills and experience. These professionals include communications officers; diplomatic couriers; security officers; information management experts; medical officers and technologists and nurse practitioners; security engineering officers; financial management officers; secretaries; and maintenance personnel.

The United States has been giving foreign aid since after World War II. The Marshall Plan aided Europe's reconstruction. The International Cooperation Agency (ICA), USAID's precursor, was created in 1955 specifically to handle distribution of those funds. USAID was born in 1961, with the express purpose of promoting "U.S. goals through economic development and humanitarian aid," according to the legislation. In 1995, USAID managed $6.1 billion in U.S. foreign aid.

Although USIA was created in 1953 to manage the cultural and information objectives of U.S. diplomacy, its functions have always been an integral part of America's foreign polity program. As noted in a recent agency publication, "It is USIAs mission to strengthen the ties that bind us to all humankind. By increasing mutual understanding between our country and others, you not only uphold a noble ideal, you provide a foundation for international stability, and it is your work that reaffirms the essential spirit of America and provides an umbrella of hope for all." USIA also administers various cultural grants for visiting foreign professors, scholars and other experts through its prestigious Fulbright program.

FCS, as promoter of U.S. economic interests abroad, was created in 1980. FAS, as promoter of U.S. agricultural interests abroad, was moved from the Department of Agriculture to the Department of State in 1939, but was administratively separated again later.

The 1980 Foreign Service Act brought the personnel system of all five foreign affairs agencies under one legislative umbrella. In addition, it created the Senior Foreign Service and established a grievance procedure to assure due process to protect the rights of Foreign Service personnel.

The mission for today's Foreign Service is much more complex than it was in 1924. Today overseas posts promote U.S. policy interests; report on and analyze significant developments in politics and economics, including agricultural trends; maintain good relations with host countries; serve as safe havens and information posts for visiting and resident Americans; screen and process visa and immigration applicants of host country citizens; negotiate international agreements; and interpret U.S. policies and interests for foreign governments, opinion leaders and publics. Its mission is, specifically, to represent America abroad.