THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | DECEMBER 2024 47 Kopp’s dedication to AFSA goes beyond his historical work. He served on the FSJ Editorial Board for six years, the maximum allowed, making significant contributions to the magazine’s excellence. His advice to AFSA presidents and senior leaders has been invaluable; Kopp has provided critical historical insights during key moments of decision-making for the association. Kopp’s Foreign Service career began in 1967. He served overseas in Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Warsaw, and Brasília; and in Washington, D.C., he held various positions, including deputy assistant secretary of State for international trade policy during both the Carter and Reagan administrations. His work earned him numerous accolades, including meritorious and superior honor awards from the State Department and a presidential award for public service. This year, he was also honored with DACOR’s Foreign Service Cup for his lifetime contributions to diplomacy. Reflecting on his legacy, Kopp credits former AFSA President Susan Johnson for encouraging him to write the association’s history more than a decade ago. On receiving the AFSA award, Kopp quipped, “I’m delighted to be recognized for the work— for which, I should acknowledge, I was also paid.” He urged the audience to read the updated edition of The Voice of the Foreign Service, calling it “a pretty good book.” Kopp’s contributions to AFSA and the Foreign Service are immeasurable. “No other contemporary figure has done as much to help all of us understand the history of AFSA and the Foreign Service,” says former AFSA President Eric Rubin. His work will undoubtedly shape the way future generations understand the institution and the countless diplomats who have dedicated their careers to public service. Harry Kopp signing copies of the centennial edition of The Voice of the Foreign Service at DACOR Bacon House on Foreign Service Day, May 3, 2024. AFSA/JOAQUIN SOSA Harry Kopp as a young Foreign Service officer in Warsaw, 1974.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy ODIyMDU=