About Meridian
Sixty-five years of connecting leaders
Founded in 1960 with a Ford Foundation grant, Meridian is a nonpartisan center for diplomacy. It prepares American and international leaders for the work of exchange: delegations received, programs run with the U.S. Department of State, and a convening record now 637 deep.
Meridian is a nonpartisan center for diplomacy founded in 1960 and headquartered on a historic campus in Washington, D.C. Our mission is to empower leaders to advance the next era of diplomacy.
Since 1969
One evening, told across six decades.
The Meridian Ball has opened the houses every year since 1969. Meridian’s own archive tells the rest.
Looking Ahead
The next decade, in Meridian’s words
As we enter 2025, Meridian celebrates 65 years of advancing American leadership. Since 1960, we’ve partnered with thousands of leaders worldwide – including over 180 heads of state – to forge stronger connections between the United States and the world. Today’s global…
The Institution