The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade has had a historical unit since 1950. The Department's four historians are responsible for a program of research and publication designed to ensure that the accomplishments of this Department and its proud traditions are not forgotten.

Greg Donaghy is Head of the Historical Section and editor of Documents on Canadian External Relations, Volume 16 (1950), Volume 17 (1951), Volume 20 (1954), Volume 21 (1955), Volume 22 (1956-57 Part I) et Volume 23 (1956-57 Part II). He has also edited two collections of essays on postwar Canadian political and diplomatic history: Uncertain Horizons: Canadians and their World in 1945 and Canada and the Early Cold War, 1943-57. In addition, he is the author of Tolerant Allies: Canada and the United States, 1963-68. He is currently one of three historians working on the third volume of the Departmental administrative history covering the period 1968 to 1984.

Hector Mackenzie is the Senior Departmental Historian. In addition to publishing numerous articles and reviews on the history of Canada's international relations, he edited volumes 14 (1948) and 15 (1949) of the series Documents on Canadian External Relations. He is the principal organizer of the O.D. Skelton Memorial Lecture and he is currently directing the development of an educational website entitled Canadians in the World. He is a member of the editorial boards of bout de papier and Canada World View and the Treasurer of the Association for Canadian Studies.

Ted Kelly is the assistant editor of Documents on Canadian External Relations, Volume 20 (1954) and the author of several papers on Canadian history. He manages the Historical Section's Informal Access Program and helps with the research for Documents on Canadian External Relations.

Mary Halloran is the co-editor (with John Hilliker) of Diplomatic Documents and their Users. She has written several articles on Canada's wartime and postwar diplomacy, and is the co-author of the third volume of the Departmental history covering the period 1968-84.