Office of the Historian

List of Abbreviations and Symbols

Editor’s Note: This list does not include standard abbreviations in common usage; unusual abbreviations of rare occurrence which are clarified at appropriate points; and those abbreviations and contractions which, although uncommon, are understandable from the context.

  • A, Office of the Assistant Secretary of State for Administration, Department of State
  • A/MS, Management Staff, Bureau of Administration, Department of State
  • ACC, Administrative Committee on Coordination
  • ACEP, Advisory Committee on Export Policy
  • AEC, Atomic Energy Commission
  • ANZUS, Australia, New Zealand, United States
  • ARA, Bureau of Inter-American Affairs, Department of State
  • Benelux, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg
  • BNA, Office of British Commonwealth and Northern European Affairs, Bureau of European Affairs, Department of State
  • BOT, Board of Trade (United Kingdom)
  • C, Office of the Counselor, Department of State
  • CA, circular airgram; Office of Chinese Affairs, Bureau of Far Eastern Affairs, Department of State
  • CAB, Civil Aeronautics Board
  • CCC, Commodity Credit Corporation, Department of Agriculture
  • CEA, Council of Economic Advisers
  • CFEP, Council on Foreign Economic Policy
  • CG, Consultative Group, based in Paris, consisting of nations working to control the export of strategic goods to Communist countries
  • CHINCOM, China Committee of the Paris Consultative Group (CG)
  • ChiNat, Chinese Nationalist, i.e., Republic of China
  • CIA, Central Intelligence Agency
  • CICT, Commission on International Commodity Trade
  • cirtel, circular telegram
  • COCOM, Coordinating Committee of the Paris Consultative Group (CG)
  • CP, Contracting Party (Parties)
  • CSC, Civil Service Commission
  • CSD, Commodities Division, Office of International Resources (1957), Bureau of Economic Affairs, Department of State
  • D, member of the Democratic Party in the United States
  • del, delegate; delegation
  • Delga, series indicator for telegrams from the United States Delegation at the United Nations General Assembly; also used to refer to the United States Delegation at the United Nations General Assembly
  • Dento, series indicator for telegrams sent from the Denver White House
  • Deptel, Department of State telegram
  • DFI, Division of Functional Intelligence, Office of the Special Assistant for Intelligence, Department of State
  • DLF, Development Loan Fund
  • DMB, Defense Mobilization Board
  • DOD, Department of Defense
  • DPA, Defense Production Act
  • Dulte, series indicator for telegrams from Secretary Dulles when away from Washington
  • E, Bureau of Economic Affairs, Department of State
  • ECAFE, Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East, United Nations
  • ECD, Economic Defense Division, Office of International Trade and Resources, Bureau of Economic Affairs, Department of State
  • ECE, Economic Commission for Europe, United Nations
  • ECLA, Economic Commission for Latin America, United Nations
  • ECOSOC, Economic and Social Council, United Nations
  • ECSC, European Coal and Steel Community
  • ED, Investment and Development Staff, Office of Financial and Development Policy, Bureau of Economic Affairs, Department of State
  • EE, Office of Eastern European Affairs, Bureau of European Affairs, Department of State
  • EEC, European Economic Community
  • Embtel, Embassy telegram
  • EPU, European Payments Union
  • ETAP, Expanded Technical Assistance Program
  • EUR, Bureau of European Affairs, Department of State
  • EURATOM, European Atomic Energy Community
  • Ex-Im Bank, Export-Import Bank
  • FAO, Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations
  • FBI, Federal Bureau of Investigaton
  • FCDA, Federal Civil Defense Administration
  • FCN, Friendship, Commerce and Navigation (treaty)
  • FE, Bureau of Far Eastern Affairs, Department of State
  • FOA, Foreign Operations Administration (after June 30, 1955, International Cooperaton Administraton (ICA))
  • FonOff, Foreign Office
  • FY, fiscal year
  • FYI, for your information
  • G, Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of State
  • GA, General Assembly of the United Nations
  • GADel, series indicator for telegrams to the United States Delegation at the United Nations General Assembly; also used to refer to the United States Delegation at the United Nations General Assembly
  • GARIOA, Government and Relief in Occupied Areas
  • GATT, General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
  • GRC, Government of the Republic of China
  • H, Office of the Assistant Secretary of State for Congressional Relations
  • H.R.1, Trade Agreement Extension Act of 1955 (after June 21, 1955, it became Public Law 86)
  • IA-ECOSOC, Inter-American Economic and Social Council
  • IAC, Intelligence Advisory Committee
  • IAEA, International Atomic Energy Agency
  • IATA, International Air Transport Association
  • IBRD, International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
  • ICA, International Cooperation Administration
  • ICAO, International Civil Aviation Organization
  • ICASD, Interagency Committee on Agricultural Surplus Disposal
  • ICC, International Control Commission; Interstate Commerce Commission
  • ICCICA, Interim Coodinating Committee for Interational Commodity Agreements
  • ICICI, Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India, Ltd.
  • ICJ, International Court of Justice
  • IDAB, International Development Advisory Board
  • IFC, International Finance Corporation
  • IGY, International Geophysical Year
  • ILA, International Longshoremen’s Association
  • ILO, International Labor Organization, United Nations
  • IMF, International Monetary Fund
  • IO, Bureau of International Organization Affairs, Department of State
  • IPAA, Independent Petroleum Association of America
  • IPC, Iran Petroleum Company
  • IRD, International Resources Division, Office of International Trade and Resources, Bureau of Economic Affairs, Department of State
  • ISA, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs
  • ITO, International Trade Organization
  • ITR, Office of International Trade and Resources, Bureau of Economic Affairs, Department of State,
  • JCS, Joint Chiefs of Staff
  • LA, Latin America
  • MAAG, Military Assistance Advisory Group
  • MDAP, Mutual Defense Assistance Program
  • MEEC, Middle East Emergency Committee
  • MSP, Mutual Security Program
  • mytel, my telegram
  • NA, Office of Northeast Asian Affairs, Bureau of Far Eastern Affairs, Department of State
  • NAC, National Advisory Council on International Monetary and Financial Problems; North Atlantic Council
  • NATO, North Atlantic Treaty Organization
  • NE, Near East; Office of Near Eastern Affairs, Bureau of Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs, Department of State
  • NEA, Bureau of Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs, Department of State
  • NGO, nongovernmental organization
  • niact, night action, communication indicator requiring attention by the recipient at any hour of the day or night
  • NIE, National Intelligence Estimate
  • NNSC, Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission
  • NSC, National Security Council
  • OAS, Organization of American States
  • OCB, Operations Coordinating Board
  • ODM, Office of Defense Mobilization
  • OEEC, Organization for European Economic Cooperation
  • OELAC, Oil Emergency (London) Advisory Committee
  • OF, Office of Finance, Bureau of Administration, Department of State
  • OFD, Office of Financial and Development Policy, Bureau of Economic Affairs, Department of State
  • OIR, Office of Intelligence Research, Department of State
  • OR, Office of International Resources, Bureau of Economic Affairs, Department of State
  • OIT, Office of International Trade, Department of Commerce
  • OTC, Organization for Trade Cooperation
  • PAB, Public Advisory Board for Mutual Security
  • PAO, public affairs officer
  • PAU, Pan American Union
  • PC, participating countries
  • PL, Public Law
  • POL, petrolem, oil, lubricants
  • R, Office of the Special Assistant for Intelligence, Department of State; member of the Republican Party in the United States
  • RA, Office of Eurpean Regional Affairs, Bureau of European Affairs, Department of State
  • reftel, reference telegram
  • Res., Resolution of the United Nations
  • ROC, Republic of China
  • ROK, Republic of Korea
  • S/P, Policy Planning Staff, Department of State
  • S/S, Executive Secretariat, Department of State
  • SC, Security Council of the United Nations
  • SEATO, South East Asia Treaty Organization
  • Sec, Secretary
  • Secto, series indicator for telegrams from the Secretary of State (or his delegation) at international conferences to the Department of State
  • Sen., Senator
  • SETAF, Southern European Task Force
  • SHAPE, Supreme Headquarters, Allied Powers, Europe
  • SONJ, Standard Oil Company of New Jersey
  • S. Res., Senate Resolution
  • SUNFED, Special United Nations Fund for Economic Development
  • SYG, Secretary-General
  • TAB, Technical Assistance Board, United Nations
  • TAC, Technical Assistance Committee, United Nations; Interdepartmental Committee on Trade Agreements (Trade Agreements Committee); Transit Authorization Certificate
  • TAD, Trade Agreements and Treaties Division, Office of International Trade and Resources, Bureau of Economic Affairs, Department of State
  • Tedul, series indicator for telegrams from the Department of State to Secretary of State Dulles when away from Washington
  • TG, Thai Government
  • TO, Table of Organization
  • Toden, series indicator for telegrams sent to the Denver White House
  • Topol, series indicator for telegrams from the Department of State to the United States Permanent Representative to the North Atlantic Council
  • Tosec, series indicator for telegrams sent from the Department of State to the Secretary of State (or his delegation) at international conferences
  • U, Office of the Under Secretary of State
  • UK, United Kingdom
  • UKDel, United Kingdom Delegation
  • UN, United Nations
  • UNC, United Nations Command
  • UNEF, United Nations Emergency Force
  • UNESCO, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
  • UNGA, United Nations General Assembly
  • UNICEF, United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund
  • UNKRA, United Nations Korean Reconstruction Agency
  • UNP, Office of United Nations Political and Security Affairs, Bureau of International Organization Affairs, Department of State
  • UNRRA, United Nations Relief and Reconstruction Agency
  • UNRWA, United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
  • UNSC, United Nations Security Council
  • UNTA, United Nations Technical Assistance Program
  • urtel, your telegram
  • USGADel, United States Delegation at the United Nations General Assembly
  • USA, United States Army
  • USAF, United States Air Force
  • USIA, United States Information Agency
  • USIS, United States Information Service
  • USOM, United States Operations Mission
  • USN, United States Navy
  • USRO, United States Mission to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and European Regional Organizations; United States Regional Organizations
  • USUN, United States Mission at the United Nations
  • WE, Office of Western European Affairs, Bureau of European Affairs, Department of State; Western Europe
  • WEU, Western European Union
  • WHO, World Health Organization, United Nations
  • WP, Working Party (member of intersessional committee set up under GATT)