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The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is an independent federal agency of the U.S. government, established by th
National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965
(), dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation, and public programs in the
humanities Humanities are academic disciplines that study aspects of human society and culture, including Philosophy, certain fundamental questions asked by humans. During the Renaissance, the term "humanities" referred to the study of classical literature a ...
. The NEH is housed in the Constitution Center at 400 7th St SW,
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
From 1979 to 2014, NEH was at 1100
Pennsylvania Avenue Pennsylvania Avenue is a primarily diagonal street in Washington, D.C. that connects the United States Capitol with the White House and then crosses northwest Washington, D.C. to Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown. Traveling through So ...
, N.W., Washington, D.C., in the Nancy Hanks Center at the Old Post Office.


History and purpose

The NEH provides grants for high-quality humanities projects to cultural institutions such as museums, archives, libraries, colleges, universities, public television, and radio stations, and to individual
scholars A scholar is a person who is a researcher or has expertise in an academic discipline. A scholar can also be an academic, who works as a professor, teacher, or researcher at a university. An academic usually holds an advanced degree or a terminal ...
. According to its mission statement: "Because democracy demands wisdom, NEH serves and strengthens our republic by promoting excellence in the humanities and conveying the lessons of history to all Americans." The NEH was created in 1965 as a sub-agency of the
National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities The National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities is an agency of the United States federal government that was established in 1965. Its purpose is to "develop and promote a broadly conceived national policy of support for the humanities and ...
, which today also includes the
National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the feder ...
, the
Institute of Museum and Library Services The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is an Independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the United States federal government established in 1996. It is the main source of federal support for librar ...
, and the
Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities The National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities is an agency of the United States federal government that was established in 1965. Its purpose is to "develop and promote a broadly conceived national policy of support for the humanities and ...
. NEH was based upon recommendation of the National Commission on the Humanities, convened in 1963 with representatives from three US scholarly and educational associations, the
Phi Beta Kappa Society The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States. It was founded in 1776 at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal arts and sciences, ...
, the
American Council of Learned Societies The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) is a private, nonprofit federation of 75 scholarly organizations in the humanities and related social sciences founded in 1919. It is best known for its fellowship competitions which provide a ra ...
(ACLS), and the Council of Graduate Schools. The agencies stated purpose is to create incentives for excellent work in the humanities by:
* awarding grants that strengthen teaching and learning in the humanities in schools and colleges * facilitate research and original scholarship * provide opportunities for lifelong learning * preserve and provide access to cultural and educational resources * strengthen the institutional base of the humanities.
As part of its mandate to support humanities programs in every US state and territory, the agency supports a network of private, nonprofit affiliates, the 56 humanities councils in the states and territories of the United States. As of April 1, 2025, the agency was reportedly asked by the
Department of Government Efficiency The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is an initiative by the second Trump administration within the federal government of the United States. Its stated objective is to modernize information technology, maximize productivity, and cut ...
to reduce their staffing by up to 80%. At least 1,200 Biden-era grants were cancelled the following week, including funding to state and jurisdictional humanities councils and a large percentage of staff put on administrative leave.


Jim Leach's tenure as NEH chair (2009–2013)

The ninth NEH chair was
Jim Leach James Albert Smith Leach (October 15, 1942 – December 11, 2024) was an American academic and politician. He served as ninth Chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities from 2009 to 2013 and was a member of the U.S. House of Representat ...
. President Obama nominated the former Iowa congressman, a Republican, to chair the NEH on June 3, 2009; the Senate confirmed his appointment in August 2009.Robin Pogrebin
"Rocco Landesman Confirmed as Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts"
''New York Times'', August 7, 2009.
Leach began his term as the NEH chair on August 12, 2009, and stepped down in May 2013. Between November 2009 and May 2011, Leach conducted the American "Civility Tour" to call attention to the need to restore reason and civility back into politics, a goal that in his words was "central to the humanities." Leach visited each of the 50 states, speaking at venues ranging from university and museum lecture halls to hospitals for veterans, to support the return of non-emotive, civil exchange and rational consideration of other viewpoints. According to Leach, "Little is more important...than establishing an ethos of thoughtfulness and decency of expression in the public square. Words reflect emotion as well as meaning. They clarify—or cloud—thought and energize action, sometimes bringing out the better angels in our nature, sometimes lesser instincts."


William Adams' tenure as NEH chair (2014–2017)

The tenth chair of the NEH was William Adams, who served from 2014 to 2017. President Obama nominated Adams on April 4, 2014; Adams was confirmed by the Senate in a voice vote on July 9, 2014. Adams appointed Margaret (Peggy) Plympton as the deputy NEH chair in January 2015. Before Adams's appointment, the NEH was headed by Acting Chair Carole M. Watson. Adams resigned his appointment on May 23, 2017, when he cited accomplishments under the "Common Good" initiative and the appointment of new administration officials.


Jon Parrish Peede's tenure as NEH Chair (2018–2022)

Appointed under
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
, from 2018 to 2022,
Jon Parrish Peede Jon Parrish Peede is an American book editor and literary review publisher, who served as the chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities from 2018 to 2021. Early life Jon Parrish Peede was born in Mississippi, and he grew up in Brandon ...
served as Chair of the NEH. On February 10, 2020, the NEH was presented by the Trump administration with a FY2021 budget that included an orderly wind-down of the agency.


Shelly Lowe's tenure as NEH Chair (2022–2025)

Plans to close the agency were halted under the
Biden administration Joe Biden's tenure as the List of presidents of the United States, 46th president of the United States began with Inauguration of Joe Biden, his inauguration on January 20, 2021, and ended on January 20, 2025. Biden, a member of the Democr ...
and the NEH continues to operate and provides funding for various projects. In 2022, Shelly Lowe was confirmed as the chairman of the NEH. She is the first Native American to lead the agency. Congress appropriated US$180 million for the NEH in FY2022, and US$207 million in 2023. Lowe resigned from her position in March 2025. A spokesman for the agency said Lowe left "at the direction of
President Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 45th president from 2017 to 2021. ...
". Michael McDonald, the NEH's general counsel, is serving as acting chairman as of March 12, 2025.


Leadership and initiatives


Governance

The Endowment is directed by the NEH chair. Advising the chair is the National Council on the Humanities, a board of 26 distinguished private citizens who are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. The National Council members serve staggered six-year terms.


The NEH chair

The Endowment is directed by a
chair A chair is a type of seat, typically designed for one person and consisting of one or more legs, a flat or slightly angled seat and a back-rest. It may be made of wood, metal, or synthetic materials, and may be padded or upholstered in vario ...
, who has legal authority to approve all recommendations and award grants and cooperative agreements. The chair is nominated by the president and confirmed with the advice and consent of the U.S. Senate. The chair's decisions are informed by recommendations from the National Council on the Humanities, peer-reviewers who are selected to read each project proposal submitted to the Endowment, as well as by the Endowment's staff.


National Council on the Humanities

The council is composed of 27 members, 26 appointed by the
president of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...
with the consent of the
United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...
and the chairperson of the NEH, who also serves as chair of the council. The twenty-six appointed by the President are selected from among private citizens of the United States who are recognized for their broad knowledge of, expertise in, or commitment to the humanities, and have established records of distinguished service and scholarship or creativity and in a manner which will provide a comprehensive representation of the views of scholars and professional practitioners in the humanities and of the public throughout the United States. In making these appointments, the President shall give due regard to equitable representation of women, minorities, and individuals with disabilities who are involved in the humanities, and may give consideration to such recommendations as may from time to time be submitted to him by leading national organizations concerned with the humanities. These are appointed to serve terms of six years. The terms are staggered so a number of terms end January 26 every other year. The members are not eligible for reappointment during the two-year period following the expiration of their term. However, they may continue to serve on the council after their term's expiration until a successor takes office. Fourteen members of the council constitutes a quorum.


Current council members

The current council members :


Nominations

President
Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
has nominated the following to fill seats on the commission. They await Senate confirmation.


Major program offices

The NEH has six grant-making divisions and offices: * The Division of Preservation and Access awards grants to preserve, maintain, and improve access to primary sources in the humanities, in both digital and analog form. * The Division of Public Programs supports projects that bring the humanities to large audiences through libraries and museums, television and radio, historic sites, and digital media. * The Division of Research makes awards to support the publication of books in and outside the humanities. * The Division of Education works to support and strengthen teaching of the humanities. * The Office of Federal/State Partnership collaborates with 56 state and territory humanities councils to strengthen local programs. * The Office of Digital Humanities advises on use of technology in the humanities and coordinates, and was established in 2008. The Office of Challenge Grants, dissolved in 2017, administered grants intended to support capacity building and encourage fundraising in humanities institutions. The Division of Preservation and Access now offers a grant program that is similar to previous programs in the Challenge Grants office.


Special initiatives

These are special priorities of the endowment that indicate critical areas of the humanities as identified by the NEH chair. They differ from the divisions of the endowment in that they do not sponsor or coordinate specific grant programs.


Bridging Cultures initiative

Bridging Cultures was an NEH initiative that explored ways the humanities promote understanding and mutual respect for people with diverse histories, cultures, and perspectives. Projects supported through this initiative focused on cultures globally as well as within the United States.


Standing Together

This initiative, launched in 2014, marks a priority to make awards that promote understanding of the military experience and to support returning veterans.


We the People

''We the People'' was an NEH special funding stream initiated by NEH chair Coles, using dedicated funds available to each chair of the NEH, which was designed to encourage and enhance the teaching, study, and understanding of American history, culture, and democratic principles. The initiative supports projects and programs that explore significant events and themes in American nation's history, which advance knowledge of the principles that define America. According to NEH, the initiative led a renaissance in knowledge about American history and principles among all US citizens. The initiative was launched on Constitution Day, September 17, 2002, and active through 2009.


Notable projects

Since 1965, the NEH has sponsored many projects, including: * "Treasures of Tutankhamen", an exhibition seen by more than 1.5 million people. * '' The Civil War'', a 1990 documentary by
Ken Burns Kenneth Lauren Burns (born July 29, 1953) is an American filmmaker known for his documentary films and television series, many of which chronicle American history and culture. His work is often produced in association with WETA-TV or the Nati ...
seen by 38 million Americans. *
Library of America The Library of America (LOA) is a nonprofit publisher of classic American literature. Founded in 1979 with seed money from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Ford Foundation, the LOA has published more than 300 volumes by authors ...
, editions of novels, essays, and poems celebrating America's literary heritage.
United States Newspaper Project
an effort that cataloged and microfilmed 63.3 million pages of newspapers dating from the early United States. The program now digitizes newspapers and makes them available through
Chronicling America ''Chronicling America'' is an open access, open source newspaper database and companion website. It is produced by the United States National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP), a partnership between the Library of Congress and the National Endowm ...
, a web resource maintained by the
Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...
. * Fifteen Pulitzer Prize–winning books, including those by James M. McPherson,
Louis Menand Louis Menand (; born January 21, 1952) is an American critic, essayist, and professor who wrote the Pulitzer-winning book '' The Metaphysical Club'' (2001), an intellectual and cultural history of late 19th- and early 20th-century America. Life ...
, Joan D. Hedrick, and
Bernard Bailyn Bernard Bailyn (September 10, 1922 – August 7, 2020) was an American historian, author, and academic specializing in U.S. Colonial and Revolutionary-era History. He was a professor at Harvard University from 1953. Bailyn won the Pulitzer Pr ...
.
EDSITEment
a Web project bringing the "best of the humanities on the web" to teachers and students, started in 1997. * Reference archives, in Athens and Boston, of archaeological photographs taken by Eleanor Emlen Myers. *
The Valley of the Shadow The Valley of the Shadow is a digital history project about the American Civil War, launched in 1993 and hosted by the University of Virginia. It details the experiences of Confederate soldiers from Augusta County, Virginia and Union soldiers ...
, a digital history project created by Edward L. Ayers and William G. Thomas III on the experience of Confederate Civil War soldiers in the United States.
What's on the Menu
digitization and community-sourced transcription of
New York Public Library The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second-largest public library in the United States behind the Library of Congress a ...
's restaurant menu collection. *
Katherine Anne Porter Katherine Anne Porter (May 15, 1890 – September 18, 1980) was an American journalist, essayist, short story writer, novelist, poet, and political activist. Her 1962 novel '' Ship of Fools'' was the best-selling novel in the United States that y ...
at 100, a conference at the
University of Maryland The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the Univ ...
featuring presentations on Porter and her work, film screenings, and exhibits containing items from Porter's papers. * The ''
Atlas of Historical County Boundaries The ''Atlas of Historical County Boundaries'' (abbreviated AHCB) is a historical atlas and historical geographic information system chronicling the history of counties and county equivalents in the United States. It was compiled by the Dr. Will ...
'', a historical atlas and geographic information system for U.S. county boundaries.


Awards


Jefferson Lecture

Since 1972 the NEH has sponsored the
Jefferson Lecture The Jefferson Lecture in the Humanities is an honorary lecture series established in 1972 by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). According to the NEH, the Lecture is "the highest honor the federal government confers for distinguished ...
in the Humanities, which it describes as "the highest honor the federal government confers for distinguished intellectual achievement in the humanities." The Jefferson Lecturer is selected each year by the National Council on the Humanities. The honoree delivers a lecture in Washington, D.C., during the spring, and receives an honorarium of $10,000. The stated purpose of the honor is to recognize "an individual who has made significant scholarly contributions in the humanities and who has the ability to communicate the knowledge and wisdom of the humanities in a broadly appealing way."Jefferson Lecturers
at NEH Website (retrieved January 22, 2009).


National Humanities Medal and Charles Frankel Prize

The National Humanities Medal, inaugurated in 1997, honors individuals or groups whose work has deepened the nation's understanding of the humanities, broadened citizens' engagement with the humanities, or helped preserve and expand Americans' access to important resources in the humanities. Up to 12 medals can be awarded each year. From 1989 to 1996 the NEH awarded a similar prize known as the
Charles Frankel Charles Frankel (December 13, 1917 – May 10, 1979) was an American philosopher, Assistant U.S. Secretary of State, professor and founding director of the National Humanities Center. Early life and personal life Born into a Jewish family in N ...
Prize. The new award, a bronze medallion, was designed by David Macaulay, the 1995 winner of the Frankel Prize. Lists of the winners of the National Humanities Medal and the Frankel Prize are available at the NEH website.


''Humanities'' magazine

Starting in 1969, the NEH published a periodical called ''Humanities''; that original incarnation was discontinued in 1978. In 1980, ''Humanities'' magazine was relaunched (). It is published six times per year, with one cover article each year dedicated to profiling that year's Jefferson Lecturer. Most of its articles have some connection to NEH activities. The magazine's editor since 2007 has been journalist and author David Skinner. From 1990 until her death in 2007, ''Humanities'' was edited by Mary Lou Beatty (who had previously been a high-ranking editor at the ''Washington Post'').


See also

*
Chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities The Chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is the executive leader of the National Endowment for the Humanities, an independent federal agency created in 1965. The Chair directs the NEH and is the sole position in the agency w ...
*
List of state humanities councils State humanities councils in the United States are private, non-profit partners of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). There are 56 councils located in every U.S. state and jurisdiction. These councils work to support local public hu ...
*
Institute of Museum and Library Services The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is an Independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the United States federal government established in 1996. It is the main source of federal support for librar ...
*
National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the feder ...
*
National Humanities Medal The National Humanities Medal is an American award that annually recognizes several individuals, groups, or institutions for work that has "deepened the nation's understanding of the humanities, broadened our citizens' engagement with the humani ...
*
National Humanities Medal recipients National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, c ...


References


Further reading

* Jensen, Richard. ''The Culture Wars, 1965–1995: A Historian's Map'' ''Journal of Social History'' (Vol. 29, Special Issue: Social History and the American Political Climate: Problems and Strategies (1995)), pp. 17–3
online
* Kammen, Michael. "Culture and the State in America." ''Journal of American History'' 83.3 (1996): 791–814
online
* Koch, Cynthia M. "Postscript: The Endowments at Fifty." in ''Funding Challenges and Successes in Arts Education'' (IGI Global, 2018) pp. 32–48. * Miller, Stephen. ''Excellence and Equity: The National Endowment for the Humanities'' (UP of Kentucky, 2015). * Redaelli, Eleonora. "Understanding American cultural policy: the multi-level governance of the arts and humanities." ''Policy Studies'' 41.1 (2020): 80–97
online
* Topf, Mel A. "The NEH and the Crisis in the Humanities." ''College English'' 37.3 (1975): 229–242
online
* Zainaldin, Jamil. "Public works: NEH, Congress, and the state humanities councils." ''Public Historian'' 35.1 (2013): 28–50
online


External links

*
National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities
in the
Federal Register The ''Federal Register'' (FR or sometimes Fed. Reg.) is the government gazette, official journal of the federal government of the United States that contains government agency rules, proposed rules, and public notices. It is published every wee ...

NEH EDSITEment: The Best of the Humanities on the Web

NEH Grant Browser
{{Authority control Great Society programs Independent agencies of the United States government Government agencies established in 1965 Foundations based in the United States Humanities organizations National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities