Oral history interview with William D. Adams, 2021
Abstract
William "Bro" Adams reflects on his career in American academic and public life, and discusses his contribution to the cultural policy of the Obama administration, in which he served as chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) from 2014 to 2017. Adams recounts the events that led to his appointment as NEH chair, and provides details about major efforts and initiatives that the endow ment pursued under his leadership, including the Public Scholars program, grant programs that expanded access to the humanities among members of historically underrepresented communities, and programs for returning veterans that sought to bridge the military-civilian divide. Adams also outlines how his career in academic administration prepared him for his tenure at NEH, and discusses the ongoing "crisis in the humanities," his maintenance of relationships with members of Congress, and the relationship between NEH and non-governmental philanthropic organizations and professional associations. Also discussed are the challenges of inter-agency collaboration, the Obama White House's relationship with the cultural endowments, the effect of the 2016 presidential election on NEH, and the circumstances surrounding Adams's resignation in May 2017
Presidents--United States; Presidents--Transition periods.--United States; Veterans--Services for--United States; Adams, William; Obama, Barack; National Endowment for the Humanities
Format
oral histories
Genre
Interviews
Date
2021
Physical Description
53 pages
Note (Biographical)
William "Bro" Adams was the chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities from 2014 to 2017, during the Obama administration. He served as the 14th president of Bucknell University from 1995 to 2000, and as the 19th president of Colby College fro m 2000 to 2014
Note
Interviewed by Stanley N. Katz on April 21, 2021. This interview is part of the Columbia University: Obama Presidency Oral History
Note (Provenance)
William D. Adams, Gift, transferred from Columbia Center for Oral History Research 2022