All Events

American Diplomacy at 250

A co-hosted program of the American Academy of Diplomacy, the University of Virginia Center for Politics, and the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies

Location: The Robert H. Smith Center at Montalto
Event Tickets
Caroline and Charles had their rehearsal dinner at Monticello's Mont Alto in Charlottesville Virginia. The dinner was catered by Chef Dean Maupin from Keswick Hall, in Keswick Virginia. The event was planned by Easton Events, out of Charlottesville.
  • All guests $25

About The Event

Diplomacy is vital to the American experiment. Two-hundred-and-fifty years ago, the American Revolution would likely have been lost without the diplomacy that inspired critical foreign support. While soldiers fight war, diplomats—with rare exception—are the ones who must end conflicts and forge peace.    

Today’s diplomats face challenges that neither force nor any single nation can resolve alone. To examine the evolution of diplomacy during our nation’s first 250 year’s history, the 2026 Ambassador’s Forum will assemble a panel of esteemed experts for an interactive afternoon of exploration featuring keynote presentations and panel discussions. A live Q&A session provides an opportunity for audience members and students to candidly engage with the speakers on complex topics. 

Keynote Presentations

  • Control and Delegation: The negotiations that ended the American Revolution occurred almost without supervision; modern negotiations see envoys on cell phones and being buffeted constantly by news from everywhere. What has changed in style as well as substance?   
  • Technology and Diplomacy: Technology both enables diplomacy and threatens it. What are the new technological frontiers where diplomacy plays a vital role? What are the new challenges from technology?  What part can diplomacy play in safeguarding the nation from these threats, whether in negotiations for international standards or bilaterally with friends and enemies? What role will military coordination play in the future of diplomacy? 
  • Diplomacy’s Next Generation: Where will the next generation of diplomats come from?  What skills will they need? How different need they be from our current diplomats? In particular, what training and education must they bring with them or be given to prepare them for the tasks ahead?  

Conference Program

  • 12 p.m.
    Lunchbox Talk and Tabling: Meet Historians from Monticello 

    1 p.m.
    Welcome and Introductions
    Dr. Andrew M. Davenport,Vice President for Research and Saunders Director of the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies, Thomas Jefferson Foundation 
    Ambassador Ronald E. Neumann, President, American Academy of Diplomacy 

    1:15 p.m. 
    Keynote Address
    “I am not his replacement, only his successor”: Jeffersonian Diplomacy in the Early Democratic Republic
    Nicole Brown, Historian 

    2 p.m. Break

    2:15 p.m. 
    Presentations and Panel Discussion
    Control and Delegation, Technology and Diplomacy, and Diplomacy’s Next Generation 
    Glenn Gerstell 
    Ambassador (ret.) Deborah McCarthy  
    Ambassador (ret.) Joan Polaschik 

    3:45 p.m. 
    Ask the Experts Panel
    Live Q&A with top voices in diplomacy 

    4:15 p.m. 
    Keynote Address
    Ambassador (ret.) John Bass 

    5 p.m. Closing Remarks

Conference Co-Hosts

The American Academy of Diplomacy

Black and white seal of The American Academy of Diplomacy, featuring an eagle with outstretched wings and a banner reading

 

The American Academy of Diplomacy was founded in 1983 by Ambassadors Ellsworth Bunker, U. Alexis Johnson, and John J. McCloy to explore ways in which persons who had served in positions of major responsibility could cooperate to promote the highest standards in the practice of American diplomacy. Today, the Academy is dedicated to strengthening the resources and tools America brings to managing its diplomatic challenges, and accomplishes this through targeted outreach programs, distinguished awards, and robust, practical, research-based publications. Through these activities, the Academy promotes an understanding of the importance of diplomacy to serving our nation and enhancing America’s standing in the world. 

University of Virginia Center for Politics

The mission of the University of Virginia Center for Politics directed by Professor Larry Sabato is to educate and inspire citizens about practical politics and civic engagement through programs that are unique, compelling, and open-minded. Everything the Center for Politics does must fulfil the goal of instilling citizens with an appreciation for the core values of freedom, justice, equality, civility, and service. The Center’s Global Perspectives on Democracy program (GPD) hosts exchanges, workshops and presentations for international delegates in the U.S. and abroad with thus far over 1,600 participants from high school students to government ministers. GPD organizes the Ambassador Series which hosts ambassadors from nations around the world who engage with UVA students, faculty, staff, and members of the public. 

The Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies at Monticello (ICJS) 

From its beginning in 1994, the dual purpose of the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies has been research and education – to foster Jefferson scholarship and to disseminate its findings. The activities of the Center are diverse and multidisciplinary. It is a collaborative research hub for individual Jefferson scholars and teachers, as well as a venue for lectures, seminars, and conferences. The Center seeks a central role in the ongoing study of Thomas Jefferson internationally by supporting a wide range of inquiry; by building a network of scholars, teachers, and resources; by helping to define new areas of investigation; and by promoting the application of new technologies to Jefferson scholarship. An Advisory Board of acclaimed scholars and statesmen helps guide the Center’s activities. 

More Events