Walls on either side of the main entrance to the US Department of State bear memorial plaques carrying the names of American diplomats who have died abroad while serving the country. As I write, there are 248 names on these memorials, a number which will sadly grow as time goes by. The first is that of William Palfrey, lost at sea in 1780 on his way to take up duties as the US Consul General to France. Not far behind comes the name of Abraham Hanson, who immigrated from Great Britain to the United States as a young man and died of African Fever in 1866 while serving as Consul General to Liberia. More recently, Marie Burke, a consular officer assigned to London, was stabbed to death in 1989 in a crime that remains unsolved.

The memorials bear testament to the dangers often faced by US representatives abroad. Looking at the walls and reading the causes of death, the trials and tribulations were particularly acute for our consuls, who lived in the most far-flung parts of the earth. They were posted in most major foreign ports and trading centres performing a critical role in promoting American commerce and influence. Officially, consular officers were responsible for safeguarding seamen and shipping, providing notarial services, and on occasion acting as estate executors for deceased Americans. In actuality, these men and their families were our original diplomatic expeditionary force – working with the US Navy to free the Mediterranean of Barbary pirates, negotiating early trade treaties, and representing the US government around the world.

In recognition of the important role these early diplomats played, I am delighted to have been asked to write the foreword for Nicholas Keegan's book, US Consular Representation in Britain since 1790. As president of the American Foreign Service Association, it has been my mission and privilege to explain the work of the State Department; the role American diplomats have played historically and continue to play today in advancing US strategic interests; and to advocate on behalf of the Foreign Service, our dedicated corps of diplomats who ably represent US interests around the world.