doi:10.7916/6kth-4f50Oral history interview with William D. Adams, 2021Adams, Williamoral historiesmixed materialPresidents--United StatesPresidents--Transition periods.--United StatesVeterans--Services for--United StatesAdams, WilliamObama, BarackNational Endowment for the HumanitiesWilliam "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 endowment 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