A Change of Scenery, but Not of Purpose, on This Column's Long Journey

The column's staying power, however, was provided by two writers: Jerry Kluttz and Mike Causey . Kluttz wrote the Diary for 29 years, and Causey held down the federal beat for 31 years.

Kluttz began writing the column Jan. 1, 1941. In his history, "The Washington Post: The First 100 Years," Chalmers M. Roberts called Kluttz "the bureaucrats' friend." As the Diarist, Roberts wrote, Kluttz was "fabulously successful . . . through peace and war, in pointing out job opportunities, disclosing raids against the civil service, uncovering scandals, and predicting changes in wages, pay, hours and working conditions."

When Kluttz gave up the column, Willard Clopton Jr. was named his successor. But he often shared the byline with Causey, his assistant, and soon turned the writing over to him.

As presidents Jimmy Carter , Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton undertook various initiatives to crack down on what they perceived as lazy bureaucrats or pare back the size of government, Causey wrote with grace and skepticism as he stood up for the rank and file. Causey chronicled the government's transformation from an army of clerks to a high-tech, high-powered workforce with its own inside-the-Beltway sensibilities.

He retired from The Post in 2000 with a salute to federal employees and military personnel. "If there are more dedicated people in this country, I have yet to meet them," Causey wrote.

The Diary settled into Metro under Mike, who handed the column off to me. Now, the column moves to a new section, but the mandate remains much the same.

In this post-9/11 era, it's difficult to wander the hallways of government and meet federal employees in person. But we have e-mail and the Internet, and we'll get by with that. In a fast-paced and increasingly complex world, I need your feedback and your viewpoints. So send those e-mails to barrs@washpost.com or ring me at 202-334-7442.

We don't take this move lightly, knowing it will disrupt some morning coffee routines. But I hope you'll make the move, too, and help us write another chapter or two of Federal Diary history.

Staff researchers Bobbye Pratt and Bob Lyford contributed to this column.