This study attempts an analysis from 1944 to 1975 focused on the federal government support in the context of one highly successful program in international education--Fulbright's Amendment to the Surplus Property Act of 1946 (or the Fulbright Program). The choice fell on this flagship international educational exchange program for its explicit interest in and continuous support for higher education's international capacity between 1944 and 1975. Through binational partnerships with foreign governments, the Fulbright Scholarship Program sponsors U.S. and foreign participants for exchanges in all areas of studies, including the sciences, business, academe, public service, government, and the arts promoting mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The Fulbright Program provides participants--selected based on their academic excellence and leadership achievements--with the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns (Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs). This study takes a longitudinal approach to provide the context of the implementation and development of the program under examination during the period identified. It seeks to answer the following questions: (1) how did major historical external and internal events affect the federal support of international education in the USA on the example of the highly recognized Fulbright Program? and (2) what are the factors that have determined the success of the program?