Office of the Historian

{{Short description|Office of the U.S. Dept. of State}}

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| name = Office of the Historian

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| chief1_name = John Powers (performing the duties of)

| chief1_position = Historian

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| parent_department = United States Department of State

| parent_agency = Foreign Service Institute

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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.{{cite web|title=1 FAM 320 Bureau of Public Affairs (PA)|url=https://fam.state.gov/FAM/01FAM/01FAM0320.html|work=Foreign Affairs Manual|date=August 17, 2015|access-date=April 9, 2016}} It researches and writes historical studies on aspects of U.S. diplomacy for use by Department of State employees 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.