Office of the Historian

The Office of the Historian is an office of the United States Department of State within the Foreign Service Institute. It is legally responsible for the preparation and publication of the official historical documentary record of U.S. foreign policy in the Foreign Relations of the United States series, which can be accessed at its website. It researches and writes historical studies on aspects of U.S. diplomacy for use by policymakers and the public.

The office makes recommendations to other bureaus regarding the identification, maintenance, and long-term preservation of important historical diplomatic records. Its outreach activities include participating in the planning and installation of the historical components of the department's planned United States Center for Diplomacy, counseling private scholars and journalists on historical research issues, and responding to government and public inquiries on diplomatic history questions.

List of Directors of the Office of the Historian

 * Gaillard Hunt 1919–1924
 * Harry Dwight 1924
 * Tyler Dennett 1924–1931
 * David Hunter Miller 1931–1933
 * Cyril Wynne 1933–1939
 * E. Wilder Spaulding 1939–1946
 * George Bernard Noble 1946–1962
 * William Franklin 1962–1974
 * Fredrick Aandahl (acting) 1975–1976
 * David Trask 1976–1981
 * William Slany 1981–2000
 * Marc J. Susser 2001–2009
 * John Campbell (acting) July 2009–September 2009
 * Edward P. Brynn (acting) 2009–2012
 * Stephen Randolph 2012–2017
 * Adam Howard & Renée Goings (co-directors pro tempore) 2018–2019
 * Adam Howard 2019–present