The Tulsa Committee on Foreign Relations, Inc. is a 70-plus-year-old membership organization dedicated to increasing the understanding of international affairs and U.S. foreign policy. In monthly meetings from September through June, usually combined with dinner at The Summit in downtown Tulsa, the Committee members engage with international experts and foreign policy officials in constructive discussion and debate on world issues. The Committee also promotes other educational programs and forums on international affairs.
The Tulsa Committee is one of 15 such groups in various cities, who comprise the American Committees on Foreign Relations. ACFR, headquartered in Washington, D.C., provides programming support to the affiliated committees and conducts an annual national conference as well as international study tours. Prior to 1995, the Tulsa Committee was affiliated with the Council on Foreign Relations, headquartered in New York, which founded TCFR in 1943.
Membership is open to those individuals who have an active interest in international affairs and foreign policy issues. Ideally, applicants will have international travel and professional or business experience, and will have a prominent role in civic and professional organizations. The Tulsa Committee emphasizes diversity in its membership, which currently numbers about 250.
Meetings are conducted in a collegial atmosphere where civil behavior and a respect for opposing viewpoints are the norms. The Tulsa Committee takes no positions on issues and has no partisan affiliation, and it follows the Council on Foreign Relations’ rule on non-attribution at its meetings, so as to encourage open and candid discussion by guest speakers and members alike.