Government agency created to promote the humanities.
Established by Congress in 1965 under the Great Society
program of President Lyndon B. Johnson, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) promotes the study of
history through education, by sponsoring research, by implementing public programs such as exhibits and television specials that convey the lessons of history, and by providing access to cultural resources. The agency provides grants to
museums, educational institutions, public television and
radio stations, and individuals engaged in teaching or researching the humanities.
Two of the most widely acclaimed achievements of the
NEH include the King Tutankhamen traveling museum exhibition (and its corollary television program about the
young king) and “The Civil War,” the public television documentary by Ken Burns. The NEH also sponsors scholars
who are conducting research for publication. Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the NEH has renewed
and strengthened its emphasis on the importance of history
to our cultural heritage and democratic institutions. The
agency has implemented a new program called “We the People: Special Initiative” to counter what it terms the “threat of
historical amnesia.” The goal of the program is to promote a
greater understanding of American history and politics.
The proposed 2004 budget for the NEH totals $152 million. In addition to $25 million for the “We the People” program, the budget also includes $89.9 million for grants for
education, research, preservation, and programming projects
in the humanities. The NEH will allocate $10.4 million for
matching funds and $5.6 million to encourage nongovernmental institutions to contribute to the humanities. The rest
of the budget will pay for administration and miscellaneous
programs.
—Cynthia Clark Northrup