The chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is the executive leader of the National Endowment for the Humanities, an independent federal agency created in 1965. The chair directs the NEH and is the sole position in the agency with the legal authority to make grants and awards. The NEH chair is appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. The appointment and term of the chair are statutorily defined in , and the chair's authority is defined throughout . The National Council on the Humanities, a board of 26 private citizens who are also appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, advises the chair.
List of chairpersons Barnaby Keeney, 1963–1965, Chair of National Commission on the Humanities Henry Allen Moe, Interim, 1965–66 Barnaby Keeney, 1966–1970 Wallace Edgerton, Acting, 1970–71 Ronald Berman, 1971–1977 Robert Kingston, Acting, 1977 Joseph Duffey, 1977–81 William J. Bennett, 1981–85 John Agresto, Acting, 1985 Lynne Cheney, 1986–1993 Jerry L. Martin, Acting, 1993 Donald Gibson, Acting, 1993 Sheldon Hackney, 1993–97 Bruce A. Lehman, Acting, 1997 William R. Ferris, 1997–2001 Bruce Cole, 2001–2009Bruce Cole to Depart the National Endowment for the Humanities," press release dated November 12, 2008, at NEH website. Carole Watson, Acting, 2009"President Obama appoints Carole M. Watson as Acting Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities ," press release dated February 10, 2009, at NEH website.Stan Katz, "Who Can Lead the NEH," Chronicle Review blog post, February 10, 2009. Jim Leach, 2009–2013 Carole Watson, Acting, 2013–2014 William 'Bro' Adams, 2014–2017 Margaret "Peggy" Plympton, Acting, 2017–2018 Jon Parrish Peede, 2018–2021 Adam Wolfson, Acting, 2021–2022 Shelly Lowe, 2022–2025 Michael Patrick McDonald (born 1956), Acting, 2025–2026; then 2026–present
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