Cultivating Wisdom Through the Humanities
/by Cyndi Tolosa
In the mid-20th century, more Americans were thinking about science, space, and explorations than ever before. Reflecting the priorities of post-World War II America, the National Science Foundation (NSF) was established in 1950 to promote the progress of science: advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; and secure the national defense.
Meanwhile, in 1963, the National Commission on the Humanities came together to study the state of the humanities in the United States. Its report, delivered on April 30, 1964, found that “the state of the humanities today creates a crisis for national leadership.”
At a time when funding flowed freely for science through the NSF, the commission proposed establishing a National Humanities Foundation to offer their fellow-countrymen whatever understanding can be attained by fallible humanity of such enduring values as justice, freedom, virtue, beauty, and truth.”
Responding to a November 15, 1960 statement by the President’s Science Advisory Committee, the National Commission on the Humanities argued, “While this report centers on the needs of science, we repudiate emphatically any notion that science research and scientific education are the only kinds of learning that matter to America… The advancement of science must not be accomplished by the impoverishment of anything else.”
On September 29, 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed the National Foundation on th Arts and the Humanities Act into law. The at established the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) as separate, independent federal agencies. It also created state and jurisdictional humanities councils.
“We connect people and ideas throughout the state, encouraging curiosity, understanding, and critical thinking.”
The Connecticut Humanities Council (now CT Humanities or CTH) was founded in 1974 to partner with NEH in bringing the humanities to the public through programming and grants to humanities organizations. CT Humanities has been an essential cultural leader in Connecticut ever since through our vision, partnership, funding and convening. We connect people and ideas throughout the state, encouraging curiosity, understanding, and critical thinking.
As we near CT Humanities’ 50th anniversary in January 2024, we are looing back in order to plan ahead. The report published 60 years ago by the National Commission on the Humanities asserts “Democracy demands wisdom and vision in its citizens.”
In less than three years we approach another anniversary – our nations 250th in 2026 – and our democracy is in crisis. As CTH administers the work of our state’s 250th commission, this prescient language is at the forefront of our minds: we must cultivate wisdom.
As we imagine CT Humanities’ next 50 years and our nation’s next 250, we will partner with arts, civics, and cultural organizations across Connecticut to nurture the broad spectrum of the humanities so that our democracy will endure and we will thrive.
Cyndi Tolosa is development officer at Connecticut Humanities. This appeared in the Winter 2023-2024 issue of Connecticut Explored and is republished here with permission.
