List of Women in the Foreign Service

WOMEN'S DIVISION REPUBLICAN NA TIONAL COMMITTEE 1625 EYE STREET, N. W. WASHINGTON 6, D. C. 1959 WOMEN IN THE FOREIGN SERVICE Women continue to make definite progress in the United States Foreign Service at home and abroad. In addition to six women who have served their country as Chiefs of Mission (Ambassadors or Ministers), 298 women are classified by the State Department as Foreign Service Officers. These are the top-ranking women of the Foreign Service. From this list are drawn the consuls, vice consuls and holders of high posts in the U.S. embassies and legations abroad. They are appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. As holders of diplomatic and consular ratings, these women are assigned to positions concerned with the conduct, observation or analysis of foreign affairs, the furtherance of the interests and welfare of United States citizens abroad; or the executive management of overseas operations of the Departmental and Foreign Service. Another 2, 144 women serve as "foreign service staff" employees here and abroad. They are appointed by the Secretary of State and assigned to positions involving technical, administrative or clerical duties. This comes to a total of 2, ,442 women in the Foreign Service of the Department of State, or more than one-fourth of all U.S. Foreign Service personnel. In addition, the Department has a reserve list of qualified women, now numbering 44, available for specialized and short-term assignments. Women Serve Abroad for Other Government Agencies Two other federal agencies with far-flung international installations are assigning women to a variety of responsible posts. Many of these women hold a rank equivalent with that of State Department Foreign Service Officers. The International Cooperation Administration, which administers technical and economic assistance abroad, lists eleven such women in key posts throughout the world (see page 3 ). Likewise, the United States Information Agency, which tells the American story to the nations of the world through press, radio, television, libraries and other mass communications media, lists some twenty women at the executive level (see page 4 ). -1-