Searching for Leaders, Forging Networks: Yagos Pesmazoglou and the Eisenhower Exchange Fellowship Program in Greece, 1954–74

Abstract This article examines the Eisenhower Exchange Fellowship as a tool of U.S. cultural diplomacy in Greece during the Cold War, with a focus on Ioannis (Yagos) Pesmazoglou, a grantee in the program’s inaugural year (1954). Following his fellowship, Pesmazoglou played a pivotal role in selecting Greek grantees for the program. At the time of his selection, he was Director General at the Ministry of Coordination, held a PhD in Economics from Cambridge University, and was a prominent figure in Greece’s social elite. His career trajectory included a senior position at the Bank of Greece and a post-1974 political career. Using Greece and Pesmazoglou as a case study this article explores the Fellowsip’s broader goal of identifying global leaders and fostering ties between them and American society while also encouraging modernizing endeavors based on the interplay between scientific knowledge and policy-making.