Paris Site of Academy's First International Meeting

Academy President James O. Freedman greets Madame Hélène Carrère d'Encausse, permanent secretary of the Académie Française

In one of his first official acts as President of the Academy, James O. Freedman led a delegation to Paris to convene the first Stated Meeting in the 220-year history of the Academy to be held outside the United States. Speaking before an audience that featured more than 50 Foreign Honorary Members, a delegation of 19 American Fellows, and representatives from the Académie des Sciences, the Académie française, and the Institut de France, President Freedman thanked the French for providing a model for a fledgling academy in America. He also discussed current Academy programs as an extension of John Adams' founding vision "of the important role intellectuals might play in society as engaged citizens."

The 1835th Stated Meeting was hosted by Fellow Felix Rohatyn, US Ambassador to France. Guests included His Highness, the Aga Khan, Jacques Derrida, and the president-director of the Musee du Louvre, Pierre M. Rosenberg. Representatives of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, the British Academy, the Royal Society of London, the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and the Polish Academy of Sciences also attended.

The day before the Stated Meeting, Rosenberg arranged for three curators from the Louvre to provide visiting Academy Fellows with a specially guided tour. He later hosted a special reception in their honor at the Louvre.

Back to the November 2000 Newsletter
Read the text of the Stated Meeting in the Fall 2000 Bulletin