Office of the Historian

Abbreviations and Terms

    • AAI, Africa-America Institute
    • ABC, American Broadcasting Company
    • AC/D or AC&D, arms control and disarmament
    • ACDA, Arms Control and Disarmament Agency
    • ACLU, American Civil Liberties Union
    • ACTION, federal agency created by the merger of VISTA and the Peace Corps
    • ACYPL, American Council of Young Political Leaders
    • admin., administrative
    • AF, Bureau of African Affairs, Department of State
    • AF or ICA/AF, Office of the Director for African Affairs, International Communication Agency
    • AFL–CIO, American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations
    • AGUSA, U.S. International Communication Agency’s “Agriculture USA” Exhibit
    • AHA, American Historical Association
    • AIC, Agency for International Communication (proposed name for the International Communication Agency)
    • AID, Agency for International Development
    • AIDSAT, international applications demonstration (demonstration of the capabilities of the ATS–6 satellite, undertaken by the Agency for International Development)
    • ALA, American Library Association
    • ALSC, Association for Library Service to Children (division of the American Library Association)
    • Amb., ambassador
    • AMIDEAST, American Friends of the Middle East (non-profit organization)
    • Amparts, American Participants (cultural exchanges)
    • ANPA, American Newspaper Publishers Association
    • AP, Associated Press
    • APSA, American Political Science Association
    • AR or ICA/AR, Office of the Director for American Republics Affairs, International Communication Agency
    • ARA or ARA/LA, Bureau of Inter-American Affairs, Department of State/Bureau for Latin America, Agency for International Development
    • ARBA, American Revolution Bicentennial Administration
    • ARBC, American Revolution Bicentennial Commission
    • ARS, Africa Regional Services (source of French language programs for Public Affairs sections at U.S. embassies in Africa)
    • ASAP, as soon as possible
    • ASEAN, Association of South East Asian Nations
    • ASNE, American Society of Newspaper Editors
    • ATS–6, Applications Technology Satellite-6
    • B–1, American long-range bomber
    • BA, Bachelor of Arts
    • BBC, British Broadcasting Corporation
    • BFS, Board of Foreign Scholarships
    • BIB, Board for International Broadcasting
    • BJ, Barry Jagoda
    • BNC, bi-national center (USIS)
    • CA, Bureau of Consular Affairs, Department of State; also circular airgram (USIA)
    • CACAR, Central America and the Caribbean
    • CAO, cultural affairs officer
    • CAT, Conventional Arms Transfer
    • CB, Charles Bray
    • CBS, Columbia Broadcasting System
    • Cc, carbon copy
    • CCD, Conference of the Committee on Disarmament
    • CD, Christine Dodson
    • CF, confidential file
    • CGIAR, Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research
    • Ch, chair
    • CIA, Central Intelligence Agency
    • CIEC, Conference on International Economic Cooperation
    • CIES, Council for International Exchange of Scholars
    • CINCPAC or USCINCPAC, Commander in Chief, Pacific Command
    • CITW:TWIC, Columbus in the World: The World in Columbus (Columbus, Ohio-based research study)
    • CM, Circular Message (USIA)
    • COB, close of business
    • COM, chief of mission
    • COMSAT, communication satellite
    • Cong., Congress; also Congressman
    • CP, cultural presentation
    • CPP, Country Plan Program
    • CPR, Chinese People’s Republic (People’s Republic of China)
    • CSC, Committee on Scholarly Communication
    • CSCE, Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe
    • CTB, Comprehensive Test Ban
    • CTW, Children’s Television Workshop
    • CU, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department of State
    • CU/EE, Office of Eastern European Programs, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department of State
    • CU/EX, Office of the Executive Director, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department of State
    • CU/OPP, Office of Policy and Plans, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department of State
    • CULCON, U.S.-Japan Conference on Cultural and Educational Exchange
    • CV, Cyrus Vance
    • Cy, copy
    • CYO, Committee of Youth Organizations
    • D, Office of the Deputy Secretary of State; also, Democrat
    • D or ICA/D, Office of the Director, International Communication Agency
    • D/CT, Office for Combating Terrorism, Office of the Deputy Secretary of State
    • D/HA, Coordinator for Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs, Office of the Deputy Secretary of State
    • D/S or ICA/D/S, Executive Secretariat, Office of the Director, International Communication Agency
    • D/SO or ICA/D/SO, Operations Center, Executive Secretariat, Office of the Director, International Communication Agency
    • DA, David Aaron
    • DBS, direct broadcast satellite
    • DCM, deputy chief of mission
    • Dept., Department
    • Distrib., distribution
    • DOD, Department of Defense
    • DSCS II, Defense Communications Satellites
    • DFL, Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor party
    • DM, Deutsche Mark
    • EA, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Department of State
    • EA or ICA/EA, Office of the Director for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, International Communication Agency
    • EB, Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, Department of State
    • EC or USEC, European Community
    • ECA or ICA/ECA, Associate Directorate for Educational and Cultural Affairs, International Communication Agency
    • ECA/A or ICA/ECA/A, Academic Programs, Associate Directorate for Educational and Cultural Affairs, International Communication Agency
    • ECA/FL or ICA/ECA/FL, Libraries, Cultural Centers and Resources, Associate Directorate for Educational and Cultural Affairs, International Communication Agency
    • ECA/I or ICA/ECA/I, Office of Institutional Relations, Associate Directorate for Educational and Cultural Affairs, International Communication Agency
    • ECA/IC or ICA/ECA/IC, Cultural Presentations Division, Office of Institutional Relations, Associate Directorate for Educational and Cultural Affairs, International Communication Agency
    • ECA/IP or ICA/ECA/IP, Private Sectors Program Division, Office of Institutional Relations, Associate Directorate for Educational and Cultural Affairs, International Communication Agency
    • ECA/PPE or ICA/ECA/PPE, Policy, Planning and Evaluation staff, Associate Directorate for Educational and Cultural Affairs, International Communication Agency
    • ECON, economic section of an embassy
    • EDC, European Defense Community
    • ED.D., Doctorate of Education
    • EE, Eastern Europe
    • EPK, Eugene P. Kopp
    • ERDA, Energy Research and Development Administration
    • ERW, enhanced radiation warhead
    • EST, Eastern Standard Time
    • ETV, educational television
    • EU or ICA/EU, Office of the Director for European Affairs, International Communication Agency
    • EUR, Bureau of European Affairs, Department of State
    • EUR/CE, Office of Central European Affairs, Bureau of European Affairs, Department of State
    • EUR/EX, Executive Office, Bureau of European Affairs, Department of State
    • EUR/SOV, Office of Soviet Union Affairs, Bureau of European Affairs, Department of State
    • Excom, Executive Committee (USIA)
    • EXDIS, exclusive distribution
    • 4–H, youth organization administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture of the Department of Agriculture (the four H’s are head, heart, hands, health)
    • FAA, Foreign Assistance Act, also, Federal Aviation Administration
    • FAO, United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization
    • FBIS, Foreign Broadcast Information Service
    • FOAA, Foreign Relations Authorization Act
    • FCC, Federal Communications Commission
    • Fed., federal
    • FltSatCom, Fleet Satellite Communications System, U.S. Navy
    • ForMin, foreign minister
    • FRG, Federal Republic of Germany
    • FSIO, Foreign Service Information Officer
    • FSO, Foreign Service Officer
    • FY, fiscal year
    • FYI, for your information
    • G–7, Group of 7 (Canada, France, Federal Republic of Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, United States)
    • G–77, Group of 77 (group of developing countries established at the conclusion of UNCTAD in 1964)
    • GA, United Nations General Assembly
    • GAO, General Accounting Office
    • GATT, General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
    • GDP, gross domestic product
    • GMT, Greenwich Mean Time
    • GOM, Government of Mexico
    • GNP, gross national product
    • GS, Gary Sick
    • GSP, generalized system of preferences
    • H, Bureau of Congressional Relations, Department of State
    • HA, Bureau of Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs, Department of State
    • HEW or DHEW, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare
    • HFS or HS, Harold F. Schneidman
    • HHH, Hubert Horatio Humphrey
    • HIRC, House International Relations Committee
    • HRCG, Human Rights Coordinating Group (Department of State)
    • I or USIA/I, Office of the Director, United States Information Agency
    • I/R or USIA/I/R, Office of the Assistant Director, Public Information, United States Information Agency
    • I/SO or USIA/I/SO, Operations Center, Executive Secretariat, Office of the Director, United States Information Agency
    • I/SS or USIA/I/SS, Secretariat Staff, Executive Secretariat, Office of the Director, United States Information Agency
    • IAA or USIA/IAA, Office of the Assistant Director, Africa, United States Information Agency
    • IBS or USIA/IBS, Office of the Assistant Director, Broadcasting Service, United States Information Agency
    • ICA or USICA, United States International Communication Agency
    • ICBM, intercontinental ballistic missile
    • ICRC, International Committee of the Red Cross
    • ICS or USIA/ICS, Office of the Assistant Director, Information Center Service, United States Information Agency
    • IDA, International Development Association
    • IDCA, International Development Cooperation Agency
    • IEA or USIA/IEA, Office of the Assistant Director, East Asia and Pacific, United States Information Agency
    • IEU or USIA/IEU, Office of the Assistant Director, Europe, United States Information Agency
    • IFAD, International Fund for Agricultural Development
    • IFC, International Finance Corporation
    • IFI, international financial institution
    • IIE, Institute of International Education
    • IISR, Institute for International Social Research
    • ILA or USIA/ILA, Office of the Assistant Director, Latin America, United States Information Agency
    • IMF, International Monetary Fund
    • IMV or USIA/IMV, Office of the Assistant Director, Motion Pictures and Television Service, United States Information Agency
    • INA or USIA/INA, Office of the Assistant Director, North Africa, Near East, and South Asia, United States Information Agency
    • INFCE, International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Evaluation
    • INM, Bureau for International Narcotics Matters, Department of State
    • INR, Bureau of Intelligence and Research, Department of State
    • INSAT, Government of India’s domestic communications satellite system
    • Intelsat, International Telecommunications Satellite Organization
    • IO, information officer, United States Information Agency; also, Bureau of International Organization Affairs, Department of State
    • IOA or USIA/IOA, Office of the Assistant Director, Administration and Management, United States Information Agency
    • IOC, International Olympic Committee
    • IOM or USIA/IOM, Office of Management, United States Information Agency
    • IOP or USIA/IOP, Office of Policy and Plans (changed to Planning and Program Direction in late 1977), United States Information Agency
    • IOP/G or USIA/IOP/G, Policy Guidance Staff, Office of Policy and Plans, United States Information Agency
    • IOP/M or USIA/IOP/M, Media Reaction Staff, Office of Policy and Plans, United States Information Agency
    • IOP/P or USIA/IOP/P, Planning and Program Advisory Staff, Office of Policy and Plans, United States Information Agency
    • IOP/R or USIA/IOP/R, Office of Research, Office of Policy and Plans, United States Information Agency
    • IOR or USIA/IOR, Office of Research, United States Information Agency
    • IOR/DIS, Data Index System, Office of Research, United States Information Agency
    • IPI, International Press Institute
    • IPS or USIA/IPS, Office of the Assistant Director, Press and Publications, United States Information Agency
    • IPT or USIA/IPT, Office of the Assistant Director, Personnel and Training, United States Information Agency
    • IREX, International Research and Exchanges Board
    • ISRO, Indian Space Research Organization
    • ITU, International Telecommunication Union
    • IV, International Visitors (cultural exchanges)
    • IVS, International Visitors Service
    • IYC, UN International Year of the Child
    • J, or JC, Jimmy Carter
    • JER, John E. Reinhardt
    • JUSPAO, Joint U.S. Public Affairs Office (South Vietnam)
    • KGB, Komitet gosudarstvennoy bezopasnosti (State Security Committee)
    • Komsomol, youth division, Communist Party of the Soviet Union
    • kw, kilowatt
    • LA, Latin America
    • LBJ, Lyndon Baines Johnson
    • LDC, lesser developed country
    • LIMDIS, limited distribution
    • LOS, Law of the Sea
    • M, Deputy Under Secretary of State for Management
    • M/MO, Management Operations, Department of State
    • M–X, missile experimental; intercontinental ballistic missile
    • M.A., Master of Arts
    • Mags., magazines
    • MBFR, Mutual and Balanced Force Reductions
    • MECEA, Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961 (Fulbright-Hays Act)
    • MinEd., Ministry of Education
    • MIT, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    • mm, millimeter
    • MOU, memorandum of understanding
    • Mtg., meeting
    • NAACP, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
    • NAC, North Atlantic Council
    • NASA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    • NATO, North Atlantic Treaty Organization
    • NBC, National Broadcasting Company
    • NCIV, National Council for International Visitors
    • NDEA, National Defense Education Act of 1958
    • NEA, Bureau of Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs, Department of State; also National Endowment for the Arts
    • NEA or ICA/NEA, Office of the Director for North African, Near Eastern, and South Asian Affairs, International Communication Agency
    • NEH, National Endowment for the Humanities
    • NET, National Educational Television network
    • NGO, non-governmental organization
    • NIH, National Institutes of Health
    • NODIS, no distribution
    • NP, nuclear non-proliferation
    • NPT, nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
    • NSC, National Security Council
    • NSF, National Science Foundation
    • NSSM, National Security Study Memorandum
    • O/A, oversize attachment
    • OAS, Organization of American States
    • OAU, Organization of African Unity
    • OBE, overtaken by events
    • ODA, official development assistance
    • OE, Office of Education, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare
    • OECD, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
    • OES, Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, Department of State
    • OMB, Office of Management and Budget
    • OPEC, Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
    • OTP, Office of Telecommunications Policy (White House)
    • P, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs; also, President
    • P&C, press and culture (either refers to counselor for press and cultural affairs or section of embassy)
    • PA, Bureau of Public Affairs, Department of State
    • PA/M, Office of Plans and Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, Department of State
    • PAA, Public Affairs Adviser, Department of State
    • Pak, Pakistan
    • PAO, public affairs officer
    • Para, paragraph
    • PARM, Policy Analysis Resource Memorandum
    • PBS, Public Broadcasting Service
    • PD, Presidential Determination or Directive
    • PER, Bureau of Personnel, Department of State
    • PGM or ICA/PGM, Associate Directorate for Programs, International Communication Agency
    • PGM/D or ICA/PGM/D, Office of Program Coordination and Development, Associate Directorate for Programs, International Communication Agency
    • PGM/E or ICA/PGM/E, Director, Exhibits Service, Associate Directorate for Programs, International Communication Agency
    • PGM/G or ICA/PGM/G, Policy Staff, Associate Directorate for Programs, International Communication Agency
    • PGM/P or ICA/PGM/P, Press and Publications Service, Associate Directorate for Programs, International Communication Agency
    • PGM/R or ICA/PGM/R, Office of Research and Evaluation, Associate Directorate for Programs, International Communication Agency
    • PGM/REU or ICA/PGM/REU, Europe Research, Office of Research and Evaluation, Associate Directorate for Programs, International Communication Agency
    • PGM/RL or ICA/PGM/RL, Agency Library, Office of Research and Evaluation, Associate Directorate for Programs, International Communication Agency
    • PGM/T or ICA/PGM/T, Television and Film Service, Associate Directorate for Programs, International Communication Agency
    • PH, Paul Henze
    • P.L., public law
    • PLO, Palestine Liberation Organization
    • PM, Bureau of Politico-Military Affairs, Department of State
    • POC, Problems of Communism (USIA/USICA publication)
    • POL, political section of an embassy
    • PPP, post project proposal; also program priority paper
    • PRC, People’s Republic of China
    • PRCM, Office of People’s Republic of China and Mongolian Affairs, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Department of State
    • PRM, Presidential Review Memorandum
    • PVO, private voluntary organization
    • Q&A, question-and-answer
    • R, Republican
    • R&D, research and development
    • RDP, Robert D. Putnam
    • Ref, reference
    • Reftel, reference telegram
    • Reforger, return of forces to Germany
    • Rep., Representative
    • Res, resolution
    • RFE/RL, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
    • RG, Record Group
    • RH, Robert Hunter
    • RI, Frederick (Rick) Inderfurth
    • RL, Radio Liberty
    • RMS, Resource Management System (USIA)
    • ROK or ROKG, Republic of Korea/Republic of Korea Government
    • RP, Office of Refugee Programs, Department of State; also Robert Pastor
    • RSC, Rosalynn Smith Carter; also Regional Service Center (USIA)
    • S, Office of the Secretary of State; also, Senate
    • S/P, Policy Planning Staff, Department of State
    • S/PRS, Office of Press Relations, Office of the Secretary, Department of State
    • S/S, Executive Secretariat, Department of State
    • S/S-O, Operations Staff, Executive Secretariat, Department of State
    • SACOHRD, South Asian Committee on Human Rights and Development
    • SALT, Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty
    • SAT, satellite
    • SCA, Bureau of Security and Consular Affairs, Department of State
    • SCC, Special Coordination (or Coordinating) Committee
    • SCI, science attaché
    • SE, Southeast
    • Sec, Secretary
    • Sen, Senator
    • SFRC, Senate Foreign Relations Committee
    • SITE, Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (India)
    • SLBM, submarine-launched ballistic missile
    • SOP, standard operating procedure
    • SSOD, UN Special Session on Disarmament
    • STADIS, distribution within the Department of State only
    • Stat., statute
    • SX–70, type of Polaroid camera
    • TASS, Telegrafnoe Agenstvo Sovetskogo Soyuza (Telegram Agency of the Soviet Union)
    • TLC, Trilateral Commission
    • Telex, switched network of teleprinters
    • TL, Tony Lake
    • TNF, theater nuclear forces
    • TV, television
    • UAE, United Arab Emirates
    • UK, United Kingdom
    • UN, United Nations
    • UNCTAD, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
    • UNDP, United Nations Development Programme
    • UNESCO, United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization
    • UNGA, United National General Assembly
    • UNICEF, United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund
    • UPI, United Press International
    • US, United States
    • USA, United States Army; also United States of America
    • USAC/IECA, United States Advisory Commission on International Educational and Cultural Affairs
    • USACI or IAI/S, United States Advisory Commission on Information
    • U.S.C., United States Code
    • USEC, United States Mission to the European Community
    • USG, United States Government
    • USIA, United States Information Agency
    • USIS, United States Information Service
    • USLO, United States Liaison Office (Beijing)
    • USN, United States Navy
    • USOC, United States Olympic Committee
    • USSR, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
    • UTC, Temps Universel Coordonné (Coordinated Universal Time)
    • V–E, Victory in Europe Day
    • VIP, very important person
    • VISTA, Volunteers in Service to America
    • VOA, Voice of America
    • VPS, Visitor Program Service
    • VTR, video tape recording
    • WAC, World Affairs Council
    • WARC, World Administrative Radio Conference
    • WATCH, Washington Association for Children and Television
    • WC, Warren Christopher
    • WH, White House
    • Wireless File, daily news service supplied to the field by USIA/USICA
    • WR, Weekly Report
    • Z, Zulu (Greenwich Mean Time)
    • ZB, Zbigniew Brzezinski
    • ZBB, zero-based budgeting