In 1968, he was selected into the first class of USIA Foreign Service Career Reserve officers appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson.  Additionally, he was assigned as a Consular Officer and a Secretary in America’s diplomatic service that same year.  Mr. Hickman culminated his government career working for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the General Services Administration (GSA) in Washington D.C., retiring in 1997. 

Seeking refuge in the familiar after his retirement, Mr. Hickman became a major contributor to the success of the National Press Club’s “Newsmaker” program, in Washington D.C.  A Club member for 28 years, he applied his considerable marketing and public relation skills initiating, planning, and executing hundreds of special events featuring academics, diplomats, heads of state, politicians and public figures.  His dedication and love for the National Press Club was evident and infectious and he quickly became the unofficial but very effective “ambassador” to the large diplomatic community in Washington D.C.

 

The Progress Humanity Peter James Hickman Fellowship is named for an individual who perfectly embodied the idea of that the most important currency in diplomacy and international relations are the men and women who represent the soul of the nations they serve.  There can be no proper exchange of ideas, information, art, and culture; no achievement of economic objectives; no fostering of mutual understanding and friendship; and no true international security, without these professionals continually reaching out to collaborate with each other in the service of their countries and their fellow citizens.