Coffee will be served at 3:30pm. The event will start at 4:00pm.
Title
"The Real Value of a Dinner": American Foreign Service Wives and the Promise and Peril of Diplomatic Social Functions, 1900-1940
Abstract
In 1924, the Rogers Act created separate Diplomatic and Consular Services that both modernized and professionalized the U. S. Foreign Service. However, one aspect of overseas service that remained consistent was the significance of both formal and informal social occasions. Often these events involved sharing a meal. Serving as a host required strict adherence to diplomatic protocol as well as attention to cultural norms, depending on the location. The burden of planning and smoothly orchestrating a dinner, including supervision of domestic staff, fell disproportionally on the Foreign Service wife. Many of the inherently representational and symbolic duties took place in these settings, outside the office and after conventional work hours. These events also provided key opportunities for the exchange and dissemination of information among those in the diplomatic corps. Therefore the “value of a dinner” is an important part of understanding the growing diplomatic role of the U.S. in the world in the 20th century.
Speaker
Molly Wood is a Professor of Professor Modern U.S. and Diplomatic History at Wittenberg University. She joined Wittenberg in August 1999 after completing a post-doctoral appointment at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, S.C. Born in Washington, D.C., she was raised in Richmond, VA, earned a B.A. in history from the University of Virginia, a master's degree in history from the University of Richmond and her Ph.D. in history from the University of South Carolina. She teaches courses in U.S. history, U.S. foreign relations and International Studies, and Latin American history. She serves as academic advisor to history majors and to history majors who will take the Integrated Social Studies track to become teachers. She also serves as the Director of the Wittenberg Honors.
About the International History Seminar
If you are interested in attending this semester’s events and joining the International History Seminar, please send an email confirming your interest to the Hayes Chair Graduate Research Associate, Ian Gammon, at hayeschairgra@osu.edu, and you will be included on the mailing list going forward. Materials will only be pre-circulated to people on the mailing list.
