More than seventy years ago, an action by the U.S. Congress led to one of the most significant initiatives in its relations with the other nations of the world.

In September 1945, the freshman senator from Arkansas, J. William Fulbright, introduced a bill in the U.S. Congress that directed sales of surplus war property to fund the promotion of international goodwill through the exchange of students in the fields of education, culture, and science.

On August 1, 1946, legislation best known as the Fulbright Act was passed and signed by President Harry S. Truman into law. Few people in 1946 perceived the potential of this program or foresaw its future impact.

Implementing the legislation took several years after. There were delays in negotiating executive agreements with other governments to set aside funds for the exchanges. It was more than a year before the first agreement, with China, was completed more than a year later. After two years, only four agreements were in place, including Burma, the Philippines, and Greece (Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, n.d.).