On May 24, 1924, the Rogers Act established a professional United States Foreign Service—a distinct group of nonpartisan public servants dedicated to advancing America's interests and values abroad. Today, the Foreign Service has expanded into a global network of 16,000 professionals from every state in the nation, serving as America’s eyes and ears on the ground in more than 200 locations worldwide.
in 2024, we celebrated the centennial of the Foreign Service. It was a time to honor these committed public servants and to acknowledge their impact on American history. The year also marked 100 years since the founding of the American Foreign Service Association; for over a century, we have been advocating on behalf of the Foreign Service and its people.
Thank you for joining us as we commemorated these milestones through a series of events and activities meant to celebrate the importance of American diplomacy and honor those who have committed their lives to advancing peace, fostering global cooperation, and promoting the values of freedom and democracy around the world.
A Visual Chronicle of the American Foreign Service at Work

Click here to begin viewing the gallery.
In the century since its inception in 1924, the United States Foreign Service workforce has evolved from a small cadre of white male diplomats to a diverse workforce of more than 15,000 officers and specialists who represent all 50 states and whose work is spread across six federal agencies. This transformation reflects the broadening scope of global diplomacy, where expertise in everything from environmental policy to cybersecurity has become essential to navigating the complexities of the 21st century.
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