SHAFR was founded in April 1967, as a result of the efforts of Joseph O'Grady, Betty Miller Unterbeger, Armin Rappaport, and David Trask.
[3] Founded in the midst of tremendous social and political change, the Society sought to support new understandings of the U.S. role in the world, and to attract attention to the study with foreign relations of other countries.
For example, SHAFR is a member of the National Coalition for History and has representatives on the Historical Advisory Committee of the U.S. Department of State's Office of the Historian.
[5] The SHAFR Business Office is located at Middle Tennessee State University, where Executive Director Amy Sayward is a history professor.
Current Editors: Anne Foster, Indiana State University, and Petra Goedde, Temple University[10] "Passport publishes reviews, historiographical essays, articles on pedagogical issues relating to the teaching of U.S. foreign relations, and research notes, and explores other issues of interest to SHAFR members.
"[14] These publications are meant to be a helpful starting point for researchers of all ages who are creating a bibliography about diplomatic studies.
[15] In addition to a variety of discussion panels, the conference feature addresses by experts in foreign relations, including those outside of academia.
Recent speakers have included General David Petraeus (KKR Global Institute, 2018), Hoda Hawa (Director of Policy and Advocacy, Muslim Public Affairs Council, 2019), Barbara D. Savage (University of Pennsylvania, 2021), Gry Tina Tinde (International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent, Newspeak and Sexual Misconduct, 2022), and Thomas S. Blanton (National Security Archive, 2023).