This profile of Ruth Simmons - a visionary higher education leader and Academy member - emphasizes the role of the humanities in shaping Simmons as a thinker and leader, and explores the significance of the humanities for others. Author Antoinette Burton cites a recent Academy report on career outcomes of humanities majors.

Audrey Williams June explores key findings from a recent Humanities Indicators report, which shows that college graduates who major in humanities outearn people with no degree and earn similar median salaries as those who major in behavioral or social sciences, arts, or education.

Kathryn Palmer examines key findings from the latest Humanities Indicators report, which shows that humanities majors outearn people with no degree, as faculty across the nation make the case for continued funding of the humanities.

An article and embedded video exploring what the Commission on Reimagining Our Economy learned from listening sessions in Indian Country, which Commission recommendations would have the greatest impact on tribal nations, and the unique economic challenges and opportunities facing Indian Country.

The Supreme Court’s written code of ethics is a start, writes Danielle Allen, who argues that the next step is term limits for Supreme Court justices -- citing a recent Academy publication.

Induction weekend is always a highlight for the Academy, and this year’s ceremony did not disappoint. It was the second consecutive “double” Induction, to make up for canceled ceremonies during the pandemic, and we enthusiastically welcomed several hundred new members from the classes of 2022 and 2023 along with their families and friends. From your own Induction, you may remember the bagpipes, the children’s chorus, the class speakers, the signing of the Book of Members. I love the traditions and how they help bind us as a community—past, present, and future.

This Annual Report comes at an important moment in the life of the Academy. After years of primarily virtual engagement, our members are again gathering in person with a renewed sense of energy, vitality, and hope. During the last year, we held major Academy events in a dozen U.S. cities, and this fall we visited international members in Mexico City and London. In September, we hosted a historic Induction weekend for the classes of 2022 and 2023, welcoming 366 new members and more than one thousand total guests—the largest single in-person event the Academy has ever hosted. And in October and November, we released the final reports of two major Academy commissions: the Commission on Accelerating Climate Action and the Commission on Reimagining Our Economy.

Since our nation’s founding, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences has celebrated excellence in every domain of scholarship and cultivated knowledge from many perspectives to advance the public good. The Academy is an independent, nonpartisan institution. Central to our work is a commitment to intellectual freedom–the freedom to teach, to learn, to speak, and to inquire without strictures of ideological or political orthodoxy. Freedom to pursue knowledge, without fear of censorship or discipline, is a bedrock value of our constitutional democracy and a practical condition for crafting the most effective solutions to our society’s toughest challenges.

Ann Ardis writes, "The workforce data in this new American Academy of Arts & Sciences report is the perfect complement to individual storytelling in helping today’s humanities majors think through 'What are you going to do with that?'"

A list of governance and committees.

American Academy of Arts and Sciences and Affiliates
Consolidated Statement of Financial Position as of June 30, 2023

The American Academy of Arts and Sciences was founded by visionaries who foresaw that the nascent republic would benefit from the expertise of learned citizens to guide its development, health, and integrity through whatever challenges may arise.

One of the strategic priorities in the Academy’s 2018 strategic plan is to improve the impact of the Academy’s work and raise the visibility of the institution with external audiences. These audiences vary and have included policymakers at the federal, state, and local level; leaders in philanthropy, higher education, nonprofit organizations, and business; scholars and students; advocacy groups; professional groups and practitioners; and the public.

A list of recent publications.

Local Program Committees and Representatives bring members together to connect with the Academy and each other in the communities where they live.

The Academy holds events virtually as well as in person around the country and the world that bring members, representatives of the Affiliates, and others together to explore topics of national and global concern. Academy President David W. Oxtoby provided opening remarks for most of the meetings listed below.

Prizes and Prizewinners

Members Elected in 2023

Deceased Members