The Foreign Service Journal, April 2012

A P R I L 2 0 1 2 / F OR E I GN S E R V I C E J OU R N A L 61 T homas Jefferson, born on April 13, 1743,was the thirdU.S. president, the secondU.S. minister plenipotentiary toFranceandthefirstU.S.SecretaryofState. Yetwhile Jeffersonwas the first of six future presidentswhowouldholdthenation’shigh- est diplomatic office, he did not regard his work in foreign affairs as among his semi- nal achievements. His epitaph, which he authored, reads: “HerewasburiedThomas Jefferson, Author of the Declaration of American Independence, of the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom and father of the University of Virginia.” While giving the country its founding document and today’s Atlantic Coast Conference a solid performer in a variety of sports, arecertainlyhistoricachievements, what was his legacy to the Department of State? In 1790, when Jefferson reluctantly became Secretary of State, the department had a skeleton staff of just four clerks, one translator and amessenger. Together with PresidentGeorgeWashington, they lobbied Congress to fund the department’s opera- tionsandincreasethenumberofdiplomatic posts abroad. As a result, by 1792 the U.S. had 16 diplomatic and consular outposts, mostly in Europe. Jefferson requested that diplomatic representatives write regular dispatches about “suchpolitical andcommercial intel- ligence as youmay think interesting to the UnitedStates,” andany informationabout “militarypreparations andother indications of war.” He divided the department into a diplomatic service, which was responsi- ble for political work; and the consular ser- vice, which handled commercial and American citizen services. This division remained in effect until 1924, when the Rogers Act merged the two services. Despite his years inParis, andhis affin- ity for the French, Jeffersondidnot like the formality that typifiedEuropeandiplomatic services. He did not adhere to rigid stan- dards of protocol, andhepromoted the tra- dition of American representatives wear- ing unpretentious clothing. While khakis anda blueOxford shirtmaynot have been available at the time, the fact thatAmericans were outdressed by their European coun- terpartswas appropriate, given the ethic of the country. Funding consular operations from user fees began under Jefferson. Consuls at 18th-centuryAmericandiplomatic out- posts did not receive salaries. They sup- ported themselves through the fees they charged or through business ventures. WhenCongress finally beganpaying them salaries in1856, consulswereno longerper- mitted to engage inoutside business activ- ities, but they continued to finance oper- ations through user fees. In 1790, the department had a sub- stantial number of domesticduties, includ- ingcommunicating federal legislation to the states. Jefferson’s tenure as Secretaryof State wasmarkedby internal political battles, par- ticularlywithTreasury SecretaryAlexander Hamilton. He was unable to conclude treaties to resolve conflictswithEnglandor Spain and finally, in 1793, stepped down from his position. Atthesametime,heincreasedthecoun- try’s diplomatic representation abroad, implemented a system of reporting that remainsacoreForeignServicefunctionand established diplomatic traditions that rep- resented the new country’s proletarian ethic. Greg Naarden, an FSO since 2004, is a member of the FSJ Editorial Board and Friends of theUSDC, a support group for the U.S. Diplomacy Center (diplomacy.state.gov). A F S A N E W S ously considering doing this for a living.” Another member of the Brussels community, Peter Barbarich, has decid- ed to major in sculpture. When he first arrived, he spent a lot of time being a househusband when he wasn’t exercis- ing and getting into shape. After a while, however, hewanted somethingmore. So, pursuing a lifelong passion, he signed up for a few art courses at the Rhok Academy of 3D Arts. He now focuses on learning as much as he can about the art and science of sculpture. “I’ve been working with stone, wood and metal, and found this amazing teacher,” Peter says. “In real life I am a scientist, but sculpture ismy true calling.” Whether we commit ourselves to a major, or continue to dabble in electives, every new post is akin to going to the University of Belgium, Italy, or Uganda, or wherever it is we are located, then on to the next one. What a wonderful opportunity this is. Spending one’s life learning about new and interesting people and places, over and over again. Though rather nontra- ditional, I can think of no better way to spend my brief time on this planet. So, what’s your major? Douglas E. Morris is the partner of a Foreign Service officer assigned to Brussels. He serves as the editor of the tri-mission newsletter and has published eight travel guides, including the lat- est revision to his book, Open Road’s Best of Italy, to be released this month. This Month in Diplomatic History: Thomas Jefferson BY GREG NAARDEN When Jefferson reluctantly assumed his position as Secretary of State, the department had a skeleton staff of just four clerks, one translator and a messenger. Pursuing a lifelong passion, Peter signed up for a few art courses at the Rhok Academy of 3D Arts. He now focuses on learning as much as he can about the art and science of sculpture.