The Foreign Service Journal, December 2003

A recent article in the Washington Post piquedmy inter- est. WilliamRobertson is seeking the returnofmillions of dollars his family’s foundation gave Princeton University to fund theWoodrowWilsonSchool of Public and International Affairs. Over the years, the family’s original 1961 donation of $35 million has grown to over half a billion dol- lars to fund scholarships, curricula, campus construction, and professors’ salaries. The foundation now pays 75 percent of the WoodrowWilson School’s expenses. The family’s beef is that they expected many WoodrowWilson graduates to enter government service. “Princeton has known for decades that the goal of our founda- tion is to send students into federal government, and they’ve ignored us,” Robertson says. This goal is clearly stated in the document that created the foundation: “Toestablishagraduate school wheremenandwomen…might prepare themselves for careers in government service with particular emphasis in those areas of federal government con- cerned with international relations.” Hmmm, this sounds like they wantWoodrowWilson scholars to join theDepartment of State and the ForeignService. However, it appears that last year, only three WoodrowWilson studentswent into federal service. Why so few? “Given a choice between stamping passports at some U.S. consulate and, say, working for an international agency establishing health clinics inTajikistan,most studentswould hoponanairplane toCentral Asia,” the Post staffwriter breezily informs, quoting Joseph Nye, dean of the John F. Kennedy School at Harvard, to bolster this opinion. “Under Reagan, therewas a devaluationof government and elevationofmakingmoney,” states Nye. So, does this indicate a serious trend out there away from government service? No! Americans are applying in record numbers to join the Foreign Service, more than 65,000 sinceColinPowell became Secretary of State. This year alonemore than 30,000 applied to take the Foreign Service written exam. Too bad the Post reporter did not call AFSA to get the true scoop. The story would have been a lot more objective and accurate if he had. We want to set the record straight. AFSA has let Robertson know that the fire to serve is out there burning in legions of people who apply to join the Foreign Service, and then apply again if they don’t make it on the first round. These are people who value service to their country somuch they arewilling to accept the lowstarting salaries, thehardships, the separationfromtheir families and, increasingly, thedanger. Our employ- ees apparently didn’t go toPrincetonorHarvardwhere, according toRobertson, “folks are turning up their noses at government service.” But they are among themost select of government employees. The commitment to serving our country is alive andwell here at theDepartment of State, Mr. Robertson. Come on down, and we’ll introduce you to those of us who are in town. The rest of us are overseas serving our country. ▫ Americans are applying in record numbers to join the Foreign Service. V.P. VOICE: STATE ■ BY LOUISE CRANE 4 $)6$ 1(:6 ‡ '(&(0%(5 AFSA Calling Princeton! AFSA Calling Harvard! So What Are We — Chopped Liver? DREYFUS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM DACOR Offers Financial Support for Students S everal scholarships and fellowships will be available in Academic Year 2004-2005 for children and grand- children of U.S. Foreign Service officers, activeor retired, for study atTheHotchkiss School in Lakeville, Conn., and Yale University, through the DACOR Bacon House Foundation. Awards are made possible by and limit- ed to the income from a generous bequest of the late Ambassador LouisG. Dreyfus Jr. The Hotchkiss School will seek to select one qualified enrolled student for a $5,000 scholarship. Applicants shouldcon- tact the Director of Financial Aid, The Hotchkiss School, Lakeville, CT 06039- 0800, providing evidence of a parent or grandparent’s Foreign Service status. Awards to Yale students, based on merit, will bemade by theDACORBacon House Foundation in consultation with YaleUniversity. Awards for undergradu- atesmaybeup to$5,000andup to$10,000 for graduate students. At Yale, the awards are coordinated by the Yale Center for International and Area Studies, Henry R. Luce Hall, 34 Hillhouse Avenue, New Haven, CT 06520. Aspirants may apply for theDreyfus awards at the time of their application for admission to Yale University. Applicationmaterials must be sent by March 15, 2004, toWilliamC. Hamilton at theDACORBaconHouse Foundation, 1801FSt.,NW,Washington,D.C. 20006. For further information on either award, contact Taushia Walker at DACOR by phone: (202) 682-0500, ext. 17, or 1 (800) 344-9127; fax: (202) 842-3295; or e-mail: prog.coord@dacorbacon.org. ▫