90 SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2025 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Charles B. Rangel 1930-2025 Supporting a Stronger Foreign Service BY HORACE G. DAWSON AND PATRICIA SCROGGS There was no missing Charlie Rangel when he walked into a room. With a booming voice, a huge smile, and radiant energy, he immediately grabbed your attention. He often began his remarks with the story of an experience that defined his life. On Nov. 30, 1950, he was a 20-year-old U.S. soldier on the border between Korea and China. Chinese troops launched a surprise attack, seriously wounding him and causing 90 percent casualties within his outfit. As he lay on the ground, he vowed that if he survived, he would live a life of purpose and gratitude. This vow spurred a lifetime of distinguished service to his country. It also helps explain the joy and energy that characterized his approach to leadership and life. Among his many accomplishments, he worked to advance U.S. foreign policy and to strengthen the Foreign Service itself by encouraging expanded recruitment and training of Americans from across the nation. Charles B. Rangel passed away on May 26, 2025, at age 94, leaving a remarkable legacy of public service. On June 13, 2025, St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City was filled with political leaders, dignitaries, and community members, all gathered to pay their final respects to a man who rose from humble beginnings to become a towering figure in American politics. His contributions were extraordinary. He was a decorated war veteran, 23-term representative of Harlem in the U.S. House of Representatives, chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, cofounder of the Congressional Black Caucus, and dean of the New York delegation. In the sphere of foreign policy, Congressman Rangel helped put one of the final nails in the coffin of apartheid in South Africa by passing the Rangel Amendment, legislation to deny foreign tax credits to U.S. corporations doing business in that country during apartheid. To deepen U.S. ties to Africa, he championed the African Growth and Opportunity Act, the cornerstone of U.S. economic engagement with one of the world’s fastest growing regions. He deepened U.S. business ties with our neighbors through promoting the Caribbean Basin Initiative, and he used his legislative prowess to support the Haitian people following numerous crises. Through his work on foreign policy issues, Congressman Rangel developed a deep appreciation for the role of diplomacy in solving problems and respect for the professionalism of the Foreign Service. This led to one of his signature contributions: working with the State Department to create programs to strengthen the Foreign Service by enhancing recruitment and training of talented Americans from across the nation. Horace Dawson got to know Charlie Rangel when the congressman visited embassies where Dawson was posted in Africa Horace G. Dawson is a retired Senior Foreign Service officer who served as U.S. ambassador to Botswana. He began his career with the U.S. Information Agency and served in embassies in Africa and Asia. Upon retirement in 1989, he joined the faculty at Howard University and later helped to create and served as the director of the Ralph J. Bunche International Affairs Center there. Following a 20-year Foreign Service career, Patricia Scroggs served as director of diplomatic fellowships at Howard University. During 18 years at Howard, she oversaw the Rangel International Affairs Fellowship program and helped create and implement four other diplomatic fellowships for USAID and USDA. She received AFSA’s 2024 Foreign Service Champions Award for her contributions to diplomacy and the Foreign Service. IN APPRECIATION
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy ODIyMDU=