The Johnson Center for the Study of American Diplomacy hosted its annual conference May 3, which paid tribute to the late Henry Kissinger, offering an opportunity to reflect on his extraordinary contributions to the field of diplomacy.

This was the tenth annual conference of the Johnson Center, which was made possible by Kissinger’s donation of his papers to Yale and a generous gift from Yale graduates Charles B. Johnson ’54 and Nicholas F. Brady ’52. As a program of the Jackson School of Global Affairs and in collaboration with the Brady-Johnson Program in Grand Strategy, the Johnson Center brings prominent statesmen and academics to campus as Kissinger Senior Fellows and Kissinger Visiting Scholars. The center also hosts its annual conference and various other events related to international affairs.

The opening session included remarks from Ted Wittenstein, co-director of the Johnson Center and Jackson School lecturer, as well as Schuyler Schouten, former aide to Kissinger and current partner at the law firm Jones Day. Panel discussions examined Kissinger’s legacy as a scholar, statesman and mentor, with thoughts from panelists that included distinguished diplomats, professors, and former aides to Kissinger such as Carla Hills, Stephen Hadley, and Robert Hormats.

During his lifetime, Kissinger was an active participant in the Johnson Center’s annual conference. These sessions proved instrumental to Kissinger’s own scholarship, contributing to works such as On China, World Order, The Age of AI, and Leadership — all of which benefited from connections to scholars, practitioners, and students.

Kissinger, former U.S. secretary of state and national security advisor, died November 29, 2023.