Abroad for Her Country: Tales of a Pioneer Woman Ambassador in the U.S. Foreign Service

Later Years, 1980– 2000

Twelve Later Years, 1980–2000 With the Vienna conference over, my three-year stint in multilateral diplomacy with the United Nations was completed. So I made an appointment with the director general of the Foreign Service, Ambassador Harry Barnes, to see what my next assignment might be. The morning I called at his office, the Washington Post reported that the U.S. Congress had voted to lower the mandatory retirement age of Foreign Service officers from 65 to 60 years of age, given the hardship of repeated overseas assignments or some such reason. Or was it because of overall budget constraints? Was the State Department an easy target for reductions and savings that might be allocated to domestic rather than foreign affairs needs? On budgetary matters it was seldom easy to get a straight answer. I had turned 60 in Vienna and celebrated by crossing the Danube into Budapest for dinner with friends and a thousand violins (well, not quite a thousand—it only seemed that way, what with all the champagne). Memories of that historic birthday eased the anxiety I felt en route to see Ambassador Barnes in mid-October 1979. I greeted Harry, saying, “I fear this meeting may be academic having read today’s Post.” His reply was blunt: “I’m afraid you’re right, Jean.” “What a way to end my life in the Foreign Service after 35 years of loyal and dedicated service!” I blurted out, just short of tears. I was too numb to 319 question if the congressional ruling would hold or be reversed, or even to ask Harry if there might be some temporary job that would give me time to plan next steps toward retirement. No such devices or dodges for a softer landing seemed available, and other retirees were in the same boat. Retired on Age!!!! Damn the U.S. Congress, I thought, especially as some of its members would be comfortably lodged in their jobs well into their nineties while they handed out harsh rulings for ending Foreign Service careers. There was nothing further I could say to Barnes, nor he to me. So I dragged myself back to my office to stare at the four walls until I regained my composure , cleared my head, and started to make plans. I was to damn the Congress yet again when a few months later in 1980 it reversed itself and reinstated the 65-year age limit for the Foreign Service! By then I had been mustered out of the Service and any dreams of a third ambassadorial assignment (not unreasonable) had been dashed. Before I took my leave, a formal farewell and expression of gratitude took place in the elegant eighth floor reception room of the main State Department building, presided over by the kindly and gentlemanly secretary of state, Cyrus Vance. I remember looking and feeling pretty tatty without even a prior stop at the hairdresser or any thought of dressing up. The photo of the event reflects my depressed emotions. My facial expression said it all: upturned jaw with sad, inquiring eyes, bad angle that exaggerated my nose, a pose I always regretted and characterized as my “Polly-want-a-cracker” look. A few folks from my small staff were present. Most everyone was under the impression that retirement was of my own choosing. It hardly seemed appropriate to invite a wide range of old colleagues, some of whom must have known that the real reason for my leaving was AGE(!), thanks to the fickle actions of the U.S. Congress. Later, when I began to bless the rascals in their legislative sinecures rather than continuing to damn them for putting me out of a job, I knew I must be mellowing with age. It was time to stop feeling sorry for myself and begin thinking positively about new job possibilities with as much dignity as I could muster. Later Years, 1980–2000 320 Looking for a Job A few organizations with which I had been associated might, I thought, offer leads. These included the Ford Latin American Group (FLAG), a Latin American luncheon and study group, and possibly DACOR, Diplomatic and Consular Officers, Retired. I was proud to have been named the first woman Foreign Service officer on DACOR’s board of directors and was playing an active role on its education and welfare committees. DACOR included any number...