In my first months as president of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, I have been thinking a lot about the future–particularly “How can the Academy’s mission and members strengthen democracy?”

Howard Mumford Jones was president of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences from 1944 to 1951. He was instrumental in transforming the Academy into a national organization dedicated to the interdisciplinary analysis of broad-scale intellectual issues.

American Academy Sponsors International Conference to Prepare for “A More Nuclear World”

When the Federal Reserve celebrated its centennial in December 2013, it bore only passing resemblance to the institution created by Democrats, Progressives, and Populists just a century before.

Robert Townsend, Codirector of the Academy’s Humanities Indicators project, speaks with Karin Wulf of The Scholarly Kitchen about “The Humanities in American Life” survey findings and implications.

John E. Bryson (elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2011) passed away peacefully at his home in San Marino, California, on May 13, 2025. He left behind his wife Louise (elected to the American Academy in 2010), four daughters, eight grandchildren, two sisters, and a consequential life of civic, governmental, business, and philanthropic leadership.

In recent months, the media has been filled with reports of colleges and universities nationwide cutting humanities programs, at institutions ranging from large state flagships (such as West Virginia University) to smaller liberal arts colleges (such as Simmons and Lasell Universities). To clarify some of the choices involved in these decisions, the Academy’s Humanities Indicators project is releasing a series of reports on the state of the humanities in each of the fifty states and the District of Columbia. These reports demonstrate the depth of the challenges facing the humanities (with the numbers of humanities degrees declining in all but three states), but they also provide resources to counter some of the prevailing narratives about career outcomes for graduates in the humanities.

A poll sponsored by the Academy, and conducted by the Center for Public Opinion at UMass-Lowell, reveals displeasure with the state of American politics and receptivity to changes in how we elect Congressional representatives.

Suddenly trying to teach humanities courses online? Mind your presence, ask good questions and manage expectations, experts say, citing data from the American Academy’s Humanities Indicators project.

The American Academy of Arts & Sciences presented the Scholar-Patriot Award to acclaimed cellist and humanist Yo-Yo Ma in recognition of his lifetime achievements as a musician, educator, and champion of multicultural understanding.

Notice received through November 1, 2021

The humanities are anomalous in their focus on academe as being “the one true career path” for students, Robert Townsend said, which is why he feels he has to defend the importance of career diversity.

A bipartisan Academy Commission recommended eighteen-year terms for Supreme Court justices to “help move the Court toward a less partisan future, restoring its legitimacy as an independent arbiter of justice.” The idea from Our Common Purpose is detailed further in a subsequent publication.

It is my pleasure to present this edition of the Annual Report of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the first since I officially began my term as president in January 2025. I would like to begin by expressing my sincere gratitude to the hundreds of members whom I have had the opportunity to meet and learn from this year.

On Tuesday, September 28, 2021, members of the class of 2021 gathered virtually to celebrate their election and gain an introduction to Academy history, culture, and membership opportunities. In the tradition of the Academy, the program included stimulating discussions, interdisciplinary connections, and moments of artistic expression.