Foreign Operations Administration

E21205

The Foreign Operations Administration was a U.S. government agency in the early 1950s responsible for coordinating and administering American foreign aid and economic assistance programs during the Cold War.


Statements (47)
Predicate Object
instanceOf United States federal agency
defunct government agency
appliesToJurisdiction United States federal government
foreign countries receiving U.S. aid
country United States
dissolutionReason reorganization of U.S. foreign aid administration
transfer of responsibilities to the Department of State and other agencies
dissolved 1955
fieldOfWork Cold War foreign policy
economic development
foreign aid
technical assistance
follows Marshall Plan administration structures
hasCharacteristic civilian agency
focused on non-military aid programs
interagency coordinating role
hasEffect centralization of U.S. foreign aid administration
coordination of economic and technical assistance programs
support for anti-communist governments and movements through aid
hasPurpose administration of economic assistance to foreign countries
coordination of United States foreign aid programs
integration of military and economic assistance programs
promotion of economic development in allied and friendly nations
strengthening of non-communist countries
support of United States foreign policy objectives during the Cold War
historicalPeriod Cold War
Eisenhower administration
inception 1953
legalForm federal executive agency
locatedInTheAdministrativeTerritorialEntity Washington, D.C.
namedAfter foreign operations (foreign aid and assistance programs)
operatingPeriod early 1950s
parentOrganization Executive Office of the President of the United States
partOf Executive Office of the President of the United States
United States foreign assistance system
programType development assistance
economic assistance
technical assistance
replacedBy International Cooperation Administration
United States Department of State
replaces Mutual Security Agency
scope worldwide
significantEvent creation under the Eisenhower administration
transfer of many functions to the Department of State in 1955
usedFor coordination of bilateral and multilateral assistance programs
distribution of U.S. foreign aid funds
implementation of U.S. mutual security programs


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