Table of Contents

Foreword by Former President William Jefferson Clinton
Dedication
Preface
Acknowledgments
Part 1: Office of Protocol
Chapter 1: Chief of Protocol
Chapter 2: Deputy Chief of Protocol
Chapter 3: Assistant Chiefs of Protocol
Part 2: Order of Precedence Information
Chapter 4: General Discussion
Chapter 5: Ranking Information for the United States
Chapter 6: Meetings, Dinners, and Luncheons
Chapter 7: Changes in the Order of Precedence
Part 3: United States Order of Precedence
Chapter 8: Order of Precedence
Chapter 9:Order of Precedence in a State
Chapter 10: Order of U.S. States Entering the Union (Chronological)
Chapter 11: Order of the U.S. Territories Entering the Union (Chronological)
Chapter 12: Order of the U.S. States Entering the Union (Alphabetical)
Part 4: Titles and Forms of Address Information
Chapter 13: Office of Protocol
Chapter 14: The Honorable
Chapter 15: Addressed by Office or Title Only
Chapter 16: Title Usage in This Book
Chapter 17: His or Her Excellency
Part 5: Titles and Forms of Address
Chapter 18: Federal Government in the United States
Chapter 19: State Government in the United States
Chapter 20: Municipal Government in the United States
Chapter 21: Diplomats and International Representatives of the United States
Chapter 22: Armed Services of the United States
Chapter 23: International Officials
Chapter 24: Religious Officials
Chapter 25: Private United States Citizens
Chapter 26:Addressing Spouses of Principal Officials
Part 6: Official Visits with the President
Chapter 27: Types of Visits
Chapter 28: Planning for Visits
Chapter 29: Arrival
Chapter 30: White House Events
Chapter 31: Arlington National Cemetery
Chapter 32: Joint Meeting of Congress
Chapter 33: Departure from Andrews Air Force base
Chapter 34: United States Protective Divisions
Part 7: Official Entertaining
Chapter 35: Formal Dinner at the White House
Chapter 36: State Lunch at the State Department
Chapter 37: Formal Dinner at the State Department
Chapter 38: Truman Dinner in the Benjamin Franklin Room
Chapter 39: Dinners and Luncheons Hosted by Government of Private Citizens
Chapter 40: Entertaining Check List
Part 8: Table Seating
Chapter 41: Follow Order of Precedence
Chapter 42: Guest Placement at Tables
Chapter 43: Private Entertaining of Official Guests
Chapter 44: Table Seating Diagram Outline
Chapter 45: Table Seating Diagrams
Part 9: Flag Etiquette
Chapter 46: American Flag
Chapter 47: National Anthem
Chapter 48: Pledge of Allegiance
Part 10: Ceremonies
Chapter 49: United States Presidential Inauguration
Chapter 50: State and Official Funerals
Chapter 51: Awards and Decorations
Part 11: Conduct of Diplomacy
Chapter 52: Protocol in Diplomacy
Chapter 53: Establishing Diplomatic Relations
Chapter 54: Ambassadors
Chapter 55: Diplomatic Corps
Chapter 56: Missions to the O.A.S and UN
Chapter 57: Consulates and Consular Officers
Chapter 58: Diplomatic Immunity
Chapter 59: Breaking Diplomatic Relations
Part 12: Blair House
Chapter 60: The President's Guest House
Part 13: Official Gift Giving
Chapter 61: Five Words of Advice
Chapter 62: Gift Recommendations
Part 14: Presidential Advance and Government Official's Information
Chapter 63: Advance for the President and Other Officials
Chapter 64: Working with American and Foreign Embassies
Chapter 65: Guidance for Advance and Government Officials
Part 15: Internet Protocol
Chapter 66: Social Planning and E-mail
Chapter 67: E-mail and Professionalism
Part 16: Valuable Information
Chapter 68: Facts about Presidents of the United States
Chapter 69: Facts about States of the Union
Chapter 70: Addresses for President's Cabinet Agencies
Chapter 71: United States Secretaries of State
Chapter 72: United States Chiefs of Protocol
Chapter 73: American Patriotic Songs
Chapter 74: American and Religious Holidays
Chapter 75: White House Tours
Part 17: Embassy Names and Information
Part 18: Websites
Part 19: Glossary of Terms
About the Author
Bibliography
Index

About the Author

Ambassador Mary Mel French served as the nation's Chief of Protocol during the Clinton administration, working directly with the President and Secretary of State.

Reviews

In diplomacy, protocol emerges from an evolving sense of etiquette built on the solid foundation of tradition. For those in the private sector who entertain international guests, good protocol can be an essential ingredient for business success. In this volume, Mel French offers the definitive guide to the do's and don'ts of protocol and thereby provides a service to students of American foreign policy and practitioners of global commerce alike.
*The Honorable Madeleine K. Albright, former Secretary of State*

Wonderfully entertaining and informative, the ins and outs of the Capital at its most elegant moments, for folks who attend and for those who wish they did. Goes behind the curtains of official Washington. It is not a 'kiss and tell' but a 'this is how it’s done' book, written by Ambassador Mary Mel French with precision, humor and extraordinary insight.
*Ken Duberstein, former Chief of Staff to President Ronald Reagan*

French’s book gives manners a modern twist and covers everything from how to address the president to writing a letter to your sheriff and who outranks whom in government.
*Politico*

United States Protocol: The Guide to Official Diplomatic Etiquette belongs on the shelves of any college-level political science or reference shelf.
*California Bookwatch, September 2010*

White handles this extremely controversial topic in a fair, thorough, and nonpartisan manner, reaching logical conclusions. ? He takes the courageous step of calling for a serious debate on the application of just war theory to U.S. policy. He also raisesissues that deserve serious dialogue. Military and civilian leaders, clergy, political theorists, and concerned citizens will all gain a deeper moral understanding of conflict by engaging the questions that White raises.
*Military Review, September 2010*

Ambassador Mel French is an accomplished professional who brought skill, elegance and etiquette to her work as White House chief of protocol. In this wonderful book, she shares her experience in a way that is as polished, personal, and entertaining as the countless high-level events she helped design for President Clinton and his administration. In today's world, international communication and cooperation are more important than ever. This book will be a valuable guide for government and business leaders alike.
*Thomas F. McLarty, III, Former Chief of Staff to President Bill Clinton*

Has it been awhile since someone asked you what the appropriate form of address might be for an ambassador? Or how one should arrange the seating at a diplomatic dinner? The art (or perhaps it is a science) of protocol is one that is rarely observed outside of the reaches of capital cities, but strict observance of rules can ease cultural differences and provide an orderly framework in all sorts of difficult situations. Author French, chief of protocol during the Clinton administration, is well qualified to lay out the proper way to get through an event with no offense. Her somewhat lighthearted presentation in no way impedes her seriousness of purpose, and the examples of problems that she or her predecessors encountered make this volume quite readable.

The book starts with the order of precedence: who goes in first; titles and forms of address across cultures; and stations for letters, introductions, and place cards. It then moves on to how one behaves while visiting the president. Information on official entertaining, formal seating, and flag etiquette follow. There is an important and timely chapter on Internet protocol and a long section with various useful lists, such as facts about all the presidents and states, addresses of agencies and embassies, and American and religious holidays.

All in all, this is a useful and inexpensive book that can serve as a reference source for party planners, letter writers, and anyone interested in knowing how things are done. The personal asides give a flavor of what it might be like to rub elbows with the powerful, and the readable prose encourages random dipping into sections. In this subject area, there is a 37-page PDF from the Foreign Service but nothing new published in the past 20 years. If your patrons have any interest in this area, it is a worthy purchase.
*Booklist*

Ambassador French, former chief of protocol for the United States during President Clinton's administration, has written an in-depth book covering diplomatic protocol. The book is well organized and covers everything from the order of precedence (the order or ranking of a country's diplomats) to embassy names and addresses. In addition French discusses some of the finer points of entertaining or meeting with diplomats such as forms of address, table settings, flag etiquette, and even Internet protocol. At the end, a list of government websites, a glossary of protocol terms, and a bibliography are included. This title could easily prove useful not only for members of the U.S. government but also for state government officials when meeting with foreign dignitaries and even business leaders working with foreign government officials. A book of this nature may also benefit undergraduate and graduate students who need to contact the embassy of a foreign country to obtain information about that particular country or to request a meeting with the ambassador of that country. BOTTOM LINE This book would be a welcome addition to libraries with any international scope.
*Library Journal*