THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2025 85 Secretary Powell reinforced his interest in increasing diversity within the State Department so that it reflects the pluralistic composition of the U.S. population and successfully secured the resources from Congress to do so. Amb. Davis would lead efforts in advancing the department’s Diplomatic Readiness Initiative to increase hiring and training within the Service, but she was confronted with a more immediate challenge: the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on America. Mentoring Amb. Davis skillfully guided the State Department’s support of its 77,000 Foreign Service, Civil Service, and locally employed (LE) staff in the post-9/11 world. That said, no matter how packed her schedule was as Director General, she prioritized meeting with entry- and mid-level officers on a regular basis. She said: “I need to know them, and they need to know me.” This engagement was relationship building and institution building at its core. Her oratory skills were unmatched as she established a tagline to highlight her commitment to excellence in international affairs. In all her speeches she would proclaim: “Short of being a multimillionaire, there is nothing I would have rather done with my life than be a Senior Foreign Service officer in the U.S. Department of State.” Following her retirement in 2009, Amb. Davis remained active in coaching and mentoring, founding and leading multiple international organizations and groups. She was also routinely sought out as a seasoned voice lending credibility to books and documentaries promoting international affairs. She took part in interviews sharing her words of wisdom for the publication of the Young Black Leaders Guide to a Successful Career in International Affairs (2022). She participated in bringing Ebenezer Bassett’s story as the first ambassadoriallevel Black diplomat assigned overseas to Haiti in 1869 to light in the 2019 documentary by Christopher Teal, “A Diplomat of Consequence.” Amb. Davis also drafted the foreword for Ambassador Charles Ray’s Ethical Dilemmas and the Practice of Diplomacy (2017). She had the emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and ability to meet employees where they were throughout her life’s journey and truly served as an inspiration for so many. And just weeks before her passing, when asked what more she would have liked to have done if given the chance, Amb. Davis noted: “I would have liked to have mentored more people.” When her record of success in this area was pointed out, she said simply: “I still wanted to do more.” This is her enduring legacy. Amb. Davis’ profound impact and her life’s work is being celebrated where it began. Spelman College has established the Ambassador Ruth A. Davis Memorial Endowed Scholarship at Spelman College for students majoring in international affairs. To honor Amb. Davis’ legacy, please consider making an online donation by following the “Make a Gift Today” button at https:// spelman.edu/giving. Please specify your gift is for “Scholarship in Memory of Ambassador Ruth A. Davis.” Ambassador Ruth A. Davis (seated) and Dr. Tom Rowe (kneeling) share a group photo with the 2016 Class of the International Career Advancement Program at the Aspen Institute. SANDRA RIVERA Director General Ruth A. Davis is joined by then-President George W. Bush and then-Secretary Colin Powell during a swearing-in ceremony for State Department staff in the Ben Franklin room in 2001. STACY D. WILLIAMS
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