TL;DR
On December 9 Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered a return to 14-point Times New Roman for State Department documents, reversing a 2023 move to 15-point Calibri. The memo frames the change as restoring tradition and aligning with other institutions while also rolling back a decision the memo links to DEIA politics; design experts and historical evidence cited in the source cast doubt on the memo’s typographic claims.
What happened
On December 9 the State Department issued a memo from Secretary of State Marco Rubio titled “Return to Tradition” that required official documents to adopt 14-point Times New Roman, undoing a 2023 directive that favored 15-point Calibri. The memo offered three rationales: that serif faces better convey professionalism and formality, that this change aligns the department with the White House, courts and historical practice, and that the prior switch was a cosmetic move tied to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) politics. The memo was published by commentator John Gruber after he obtained the full text. The article examines those claims from a design and historical perspective, noting Times New Roman’s 1931 origin for The Times of London, its development for newsprint, its long-standing presence as a Windows default and “web-safe” option, and critiques from typographers who argue neither Times New Roman nor Calibri are ideal for conveying ceremony or gravitas in formal documents.
Why it matters
- Aesthetic choices at large agencies can serve as visible signals of political alignment and policy priorities.
- The memo ties a seemingly technical change to a broader executive agenda that targets DEIA programs and practices.
- Design history and typographic practice complicate claims that a single typeface inherently conveys authority.
- Defaults and software-era inertia can fossilize practical choices into perceived tradition, affecting institutional presentation and readability.
Key facts
- The memo titled “Return to Tradition” was issued on December 9 by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
- It requires State Department documents to use 14-point Times New Roman, reversing a 2023 directive favoring 15-point Calibri.
- John Gruber obtained and published the full text of Rubio’s memo.
- The memo’s three stated reasons: serifs convey professionalism, alignment with other institutions and historical practice, and reversing a DEIA-linked cosmetic change.
- The memo cites Executive Order 14151, which directed federal agencies to terminate DEIA-related activities.
- Times New Roman was designed in 1931 for The Times of London and was optimized for newsprint with thin strokes and narrow letterforms.
- Times New Roman became widespread partly because it was bundled with early versions of Windows and regarded as a “web-safe” font.
- Typographers and commentators cited in the source argue Times New Roman often reflects inertia rather than considered typographic choice.
- The U.S. Supreme Court and Congress use different serif families—Century Schoolbook for opinions and Cheltenham/De Vinne for some legislative materials—illustrating varied institutional practices.
- Calibri is a humanist sans-serif with rounded, warm forms; the source notes it is also a poor fit for formal or ceremonial documents.
What to watch next
- Whether other federal agencies adopt similar font directives — not confirmed in the source
- Implementation details, compliance timeline and guidance from the State Department on existing documents — not confirmed in the source
- Public or professional reactions from legal, design and accessibility communities to the memo — not confirmed in the source
Quick glossary
- Serif: A small decorative stroke at the end of a letter’s main strokes; serif typefaces include these features.
- Sans-serif: A typeface without serifs; sans-serif faces have cleaner, simpler stroke endings.
- Web-safe font: A typeface commonly available across different operating systems and browsers, used to maximize consistent rendering online.
- x-height: The height of a typeface’s lowercase letters, typically measured by the height of the letter “x”; it affects legibility and perceived size.
- DEIA: An acronym for diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility; used to describe programs and policies addressing those goals.
Reader FAQ
Why did the State Department change its default font?
The memo states three reasons: serifs communicate professionalism, the change aligns with certain institutions and history, and it reverses a move the memo links to DEIA politics.
Does the source say Times New Roman inherently conveys authority?
No; the article argues that any authority attributed to Times New Roman is largely socially constructed and often the result of historical inertia and default software choices.
Is Calibri considered a better choice for formal documents?
The source contends Calibri, a warm humanist sans-serif, is also a poor fit for formal or ceremonial contexts.
Will this memo change fonts across the whole federal government?
not confirmed in the source
Times New American: A Tale of Two Fonts Dec. 30, 2025 A less romantic truth is that aesthetic standards rarely travel alone; power tends to follow in their wake. An…
Sources
- Times New American: A Tale of Two Fonts
- At State Dept., a Typeface Falls Victim in the War Against …
- State Department trades Calibri for Times New Roman
- Rubio orders State Department to change official memo font …
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