National Endowment for the Humanities

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Agency overview
National Endowment for the Humanities
Official seal and logo
Formed	September 29, 1965
Jurisdiction	Federal government of the United States
Headquarters	1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C.
Employees	141 (2006)
Annual Budget	$141 million USD (2006)
Agency Executive	Bruce Cole, Chairman
Website
www.neh.gov

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is an independent federal agency of the United States established by the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965 (Pub.L. 89-209) dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities. The NEH is located at 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, D.C. in the Old Post Office.

1 Overview
2 Chairs
3 "We the People" initiative
4 See also
5 Notes
6 External links

[edit] Overview

According to their website, they are "the largest funder of humanities programs in the United States." The endowment accomplishes this mission by providing grants for high-quality humanities projects in four funding areas: preserving and providing access to cultural resources, education, research, and public programs.

NEH grants typically go to cultural institutions, such as museums, archives, libraries, colleges, universities, public television, and radio stations, and to individual scholars. The agency is also a base supporter of its network of private, nonprofit affiliates, the 57 humanities councils in the United States. Every summer, NEH hosts undergraduate students from across the country as interns in various departments from the Division of Education to the Office of the Chairman. Each intern is mentored by an NEH staffperson and receives a stipend for ten weeks of full-time work.

The Endowment is directed by a chairman, who is appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, for a term of four years. Advising the chairman is the National Council on the Humanities, a board of 26 distinguished private citizens who are also appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. The National Council members serve staggered six-year terms.

In 1995 the United States Government planned to abolish the NEH along with the NEA and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).

The current chairman is Dr. Bruce Cole, nominated and confirmed in 2001^[1]^[2] and again in 2005.^[3]^[4]

[edit] Chairs

Barnaby Keeney, 1963-, chairman of National Commission on the Humanities
Henry Allen Moe, 1965-66, interim chairman
Barnaby Keeney, 1966-1970
Wallace Edgerton, Acting Chairman, 1970-71
Ronald Berman, 1971-1977
Robert Kingston, Acting Chairman, 1977
Joseph Duffey, 1977-81
William J. Bennett, 1981-85
John Agresto, Acting Chairman, 1985
Lynne Cheney, 1986-1993
Jerry L. Martin, Acting Chairman, 1993
Donald Gibson, Acting Chairman, 1993
Sheldon Hackney, 1993-97
Bruce A. Lehman, Acting Chairman, 1997
William R. Ferris, 1997-2001
Bruce Cole, 2001-

[edit] "We the People" initiative

The NEH makes certain important programs and texts part of the "We the People" initiative, which is used to encourage and strengthen the teaching, study, and understanding of American history and culture through the support of projects and programs that explore significant events and themes in our nation's history and which advance knowledge of the principles that define America.^[5]

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

^ U.S. Congress (4 September 2001). "Nominations". Congressional Record 147 (113): S9088. Retrieved on 2006-09-25.
^ U.S. Congress (14 September 2001). "Confirmations". Congressional Record 147 (120): S9464. Retrieved on 2006-09-25.
^ U.S. Congress (18 July 2005). "Nominations". Congressional Record 151 (97): S8438. Retrieved on 2006-09-25.
^ U.S. Congress (17 December 2005). "Confirmations". Congressional Record 151 (163): S13969. Retrieved on 2006-09-25.
^ The Writings of Henry D. Thoreau