The National Museum of American Diplomacy (NMAD) is the first museum in the United States dedicated to telling the stories of
American diplomacy. Its mission is to inspire discovery of how American diplomacy shapes the nation's prosperity and security.
The museum is currently under development and is raising funds for its completion through a
public-private partnership with the Diplomacy Center Foundation. NMAD is located at the 21st Street, at the entrance of the
Harry S Truman building in
Washington, D.C.
)
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, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
where the
U.S. Department of State
The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other ...
is headquartered. The National Museum of American Diplomacy falls under the
Bureau of Public Affairs. It was called the United States Diplomacy Center before being renamed in November 2019.
History
![USDCseptembergroundbreaking](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dc/USDCseptembergroundbreaking.jpg)
In 1999, Ambassador
Stephen Low and Senator
Charles Mathias
Charles McCurdy Mathias Jr. (July 24, 1922 – January 25, 2010) was an American politician and attorney. A Republican, he served as a member of the United States Senate, representing Maryland from 1969 to 1987. He was also a member of ...
founded the Foreign Affairs Museum Council (FAMC), a nonprofit organization, to help build the first museum dedicated to American diplomacy. In 2000, then-US Secretary of State
Madeleine Albright
Madeleine Jana Korbel Albright (born Marie Jana Korbelová; May 15, 1937 – March 23, 2022) was an American diplomat and political scientist who served as the 64th United States secretary of state from 1997 to 2001. A member of the Democratic ...
agreed for the museum to be located at the Department of State. Then-Assistant Secretary of State for Administration
Patrick F. Kennedy claimed 20,000 square feet of space for the museum.
In September 2013, the Foreign Affairs Museum Council formally changed its name to th
Diplomacy Center Foundation The Diplomacy Center Foundation represents the private sector in a public-private partnership with the US Department of State in creating and maintaining NMAD.
The
National Capital Planning Commission
The National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) is a U.S. government executive branch agency that provides planning guidance for Washington, D.C., and the surrounding National Capital Region. Through its planning policies and review of developmen ...
approved the design in 2011. Construction of the museum officially began in late 2014.
Secretary of State John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician and diplomat who currently serves as the first United States special presidential envoy for climate. A member of the Forbes family and the Democratic Party, he ...
as well as five former Secretaries of State (
Henry Kissinger
Henry Alfred Kissinger (; ; born Heinz Alfred Kissinger, May 27, 1923) is a German-born American politician, diplomat, and geopolitical consultant who served as United States Secretary of State and National Security Advisor under the presid ...
,
James Baker
James Addison Baker III (born April 28, 1930) is an American attorney, diplomat and statesman. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 10th White House Chief of Staff and 67th United States Secretary of the Treasury under President ...
,
Madeleine Albright
Madeleine Jana Korbel Albright (born Marie Jana Korbelová; May 15, 1937 – March 23, 2022) was an American diplomat and political scientist who served as the 64th United States secretary of state from 1997 to 2001. A member of the Democratic ...
,
Colin Powell, and
Hillary Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...
) attended the
groundbreaking
Groundbreaking, also known as cutting, sod-cutting, turning the first sod, or a sod-turning ceremony, is a traditional ceremony in many cultures that celebrates the first day of construction for a building or other project. Such ceremonies are ...
ceremony on September 3, 2014.
Pavilion
Architect Hany Hassan of
Beyer Blinder Belle
Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners LLP (BBB) is an international architecture firm. It is based in New York City and has an additional office in Washington, DC. The firm's name is derived from the three founding partners: John H. Beyer, Ri ...
designed the museum's award-winning 20,000 square-foot pavilion which extends out for visitors entering on 21st Street. Construction for the pavilion was completed in 2017.
The design intends to complement the original 1941 wing of the Harry S Truman Building, the headquarters of the U.S. Department of State.
The opening hall will feature interactive exhibits to explore American diplomacy today and provide an orientation for the public about U.S. diplomats, what they do, where they are posted around the world, U.S. global bilateral and multilateral relationships, and how this all relates to the everyday lives of citizens. In November 2019, ''Diplomacy Is Our Mission,'' a preview exhibit designed in collaboration with
Smithsonian Exhibits, opened to the public.
Through the themes of security, prosperity, democracy, and development, ''Diplomacy Is Our Mission'' explores historic and contemporary stories that "highlight the efforts of U.S. diplomats and how they work with international partners to create a more stable world."
Education
The National Museum of American Diplomacy aims to engage students and educators through the Museum's education programs and curricula. At the core of the center's education outreach is the diplomacy simulation program, an immersive exercise in which participants engage on a critical global issue. Working in small teams, participants step into the world of diplomacy by representing the interests of a specific stakeholder group (e.g., foreign ministries, the U.S. Department of State, NGOs, international organizations). Under set time constraints, the groups are challenged to negotiate a solution to an international crisis. Using the information provided in the simulation materials, they develop, defend and modify their group's policy positions in real time.
The museum also trains educators to run simulations using free material on its website, including a teacher's guide with links to instructional videos and scenarios with background information and short video links featuring topic experts. Educators in turn can teach thousands of students about the art and challenges of diplomacy.
Installations
In November 2019, "Diplomacy Is Our Mission", a preview exhibit designed in collaboration with
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...
Exhibits (SIE), opened to the public.
The museum will display Madeleine Albright's pin collection, how
Shirley Temple Black
Shirley Temple Black (born Shirley Jane Temple;While Temple occasionally used "Jane" as a middle name, her birth certificate reads "Shirley Temple". Her birth certificate was altered to prolong her babyhood shortly after she signed with Fox in ...
was the ambassador to Ghana and then Czechoslovakia, and then the first woman to serve as US Chief of Protocol, and also items from the TV show ''
Madam Secretary''.
Partnerships
![Stamp, U](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/Stamp%2C_U.S._Embassy_Taipei_%28pre-1979%29.jpg)
The National Museum of American Diplomacy commemorates milestones in American diplomacy, using discussions, film screenings, and ceremonies. The programs feature Foreign and Civil Service Officers, foreign policy experts, historians, and citizen diplomats. These programs take place in the Pavilion's Founding Ambassadors Concourse. NMAD hosts panel discussions on diplomacy for the general public and hosts events in partnership with other Bureaus at the State Department, outside U.S. government agencies, organizations, and embassies. NMAD also hosts outside events, such as exhibit testing and a diplomacy-centered
hackathon.
References
External links
Official Website of the National Museum of American DiplomacyDiplomacy Center Foundation
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United States Department of State agencies
United States Department of State
Public relations in the United States
History museums in Washington, D.C.
Buildings and structures under construction in the United States
Bureau of Public Affairs
2000 establishments in Washington, D.C.
Museums established in 2000