ABSTRACT
Rozanne L. Ridgway was one of the highest ranking women at the State Department in both the Carter and Reagan Administrations, serving, respectively, as Counselor of the Department from 1980 to 1981 and Assistant Secretary of State for European and Canadian Affairs from 1985 to 1989. Ambassador Ridgway began her career at State in 1957 as a career foreign service officer. Her decision to enter the diplomatic arena in many ways exemplifies the decision process of the other women from her generation at State. Ambassador Ridgway’s successful trip from the Midwest to the top of the State Department is testimony to her ability to work hard. Ambassador Ridgway’s successful trip from the Midwest to the top of the State Department is testimony to her ability to work hard. People talk about women and the influence of women on their lives.
