NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS 1965-1985 A Brief Chronology of Federal Invoh 'ement in the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent federal agency created in 1965 to encour- age and support American art and artists. Its mission is to encourage artistic excellence and access to, and appreciation of, it. It fulfills its mission by awarding grants and through its leadership and advo- cacy activities. It makes grants botl directly to artists and arts institu- tions and indirectly through the er couragement and support of its public partners, the state and local arts agencies. On September 29, 1985, the Endowment celebrated its 20th Anniversarv. ' . T J V~!> A \J1 Additional copies of this booklet may be obtained by writing: Office of Public Information National Endowment for the Arts Nancy Hanks Center 1 100 Pennsylvania Avenue, v\v Washington, D.C. 20506 September 1985 NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS 1965-1985 A Brief Chronology of Federal Involvement in the Arts "The Arts and Sciences, essen- tial to the prosperity of the State and to the ornament and hap- piness of human life, have a primary claim to the encour- agement of every lover of his Country and mankind. " George Washington 1781 T Foreword he Endowment's 20th Anniversary on September 29, 1985, is not just a birthday celebration of a federal agency. It is a salute to the arts, all the arts in this nation. This chro- nology was compiled to show how our government first began to sup- port the arts, how the National En- dowment for the Arts came into being, and how this agency has grown up. It is not meant to be the definitive history 7 of federal arts support. The arts in America today are a great source of pride. In communi- ties of all types and sizes, they have become a vital and widely shared aspect of our national life. Our writers are read, our films seen, our music heard, all over the world. Our painters, sculptors, choreographers, playwrights and composers are often international trendsetters in their disciplines and in interdisciplinary work. Our fore- most symphony orchestras, theater groups, dance companies and op- era companies receive critical ac- claim both here and abroad. In the two decades since the En- dowment was established in 1965, the growth in the arts has been dramatic: organizations eligible for support have grown from 58 to 192 orchestras, 27 to 102 opera compa- nies, 22 to 389 theaters, and 37 to 213 dance companies; the list goes on and on. In the next two de- cades the Endowment will con- tinue to be a catalyst, providing both an impetus and a rallying point for the arts. The American system of arts sup- port rests primarily on private and local initiative. The Endowment's authorizing legislation specifically recognizes this. It is encouraging that private support for the arts and humanities (not including educa- tional institutions) has risen since 1967 from $223 million to $4.6 bil- lion in 1984. The period 1981-84 by itself experienced a more than 50 percent rise. Over the past 20 years, the Arts En- dowment's budget has grown from $2.5 million to $1637 million, and the state arts agencies' budgets have grown from $2.7 million to $164 million; local public agencies receive over $300 million. On the occasion of the award of the first National Medals of Arts, President Reagan said: "In recognizing those who create and those who make creation pos- sible, we celebrate freedom. No one realizes the importance of freedom more than the artist, for only in the atmosphere of freedom can the arts flourish. ... In an at- mosphere of liberty, artists and pa- trons are free to think the unthink- able and create the audacious; they are free to make both horrendous mistakes and glorious celebrations. ... In societies that are not free, art dies. In the totalitarian societies of the world, all art is officially ap- proved. It's the expression not of the soul, but of the state." There is much to be proud of in the history of arts support in Amer- ica. It is our hope that the Endow- ment, in partnership with other sources of support, both public and private, will continue to nur- ture the environment within which the arts in this country can con- tinue to flourish. Frank Hodsoll, Chairman National Endowment for the Arts Chronology 1780 John Adams, in a letter to his wife, writes: "I must study politics and war, that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history and naval architecture, navigation, commerce, and agri- culture, in order to give their chil- dren a right to study painting, po- etry, music, architecture ..." 1 785 Thomas Jefferson writes to James Madison: "You see I am an enthu- siast on the subject of the arts." 1790 Establishment of the United States Marine Band marks the first federal support of a permanent musical ensemble. 1800 The Library of Congress is estab- lished by Act of Congress to pro- vide "such books as may be nec- essary for the use of Congress." Art and music included in the early collection. 1817 The 14th Congress commissions John Trumbull to paint four Revo- lutionary War scenes to hang in the Capitol Rotunda, the first U.S. federal support of the visual arts. 1826 John Trumbull, President of the American Academy of Fine Arts, proposes to President John Quincy Adams a "Plan for the Permanent Encouragement of the Fine Arts by the National Government." 1846 Following protracted delibera- tion, the Congress accepts the be- quest of the late James Smithson, and the Smithsonian Institution is created by an Act of Congress. One provision calls for maintain- ing exhibits representative of the arts. 1859 President James Buchanan ap- points a National Arts Commis- sion to promote the arts. Ineffec- tive because of a lack of Congressional appropriations, it disbands in 1861. 1879 Representative Samuel S. Cox (D- N.Y.) introduces a Joint Resolu- tion in Congress to establish "a council on art matters." No action taken. 1891 President Benjamin Harrison signs legislation establishing the National Conservatory of Music in New York City. The Conservatory opens in 1892 with Antonin Dvo- rak as its first artistic director. 1897 Congressional proposal intro- duced for a National Office of the Arts. No action taken. 1899 Utah Arts Institute established, the first state-created arts council in the nation. 1906 The federal government accepts the donation of the Oriental art collection of Charles Lang Freer, who also provides for a building and endowment. The Freer Gal- lery, part of the Smithsonian Insti- tution, opens to the public in 1923. 1909 President Theodore Roosevelt ap- points a 30-member Council of Fine Arts. The Council is dis- banded shortly thereafter by Presi- dent William Howard Taft for lack of funding. 1910 President Taft, with Congres- sional approval, establishes a Commission of Fine Arts "to ad- vise generally upon questions of art when required to do so by the President, or by Congress." It deals primarily with the architec- tural appearance of Washington, D.C. 1913 The National Institute of Arts and Letters is incorporated under a federal charter (not involving fed- eral funding) by an Act of Con- gress. The American Academy of Arts and Letters is incorporated under a similar charter three years later. The two organizations merge in 1976. 1934 President Franklin D. Roosevelt establishes the Treasury Depart- ment's Section on Painting and Sculpture, the first government bureau involving the arts, which assigns artists to decorate federal buildings around the country. 1935 Public service employment pro- grams are established under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) . Such programs as the Federal Writers Project, the Fed- eral Theater Project, the Federal Art Project and the Federal Music Project are launched. 1935 The American National Theatre and Academy is founded as a non- profit, tax-exempt organization under a charter granted by Congress. 1937 Andrew W. Mellon donates his art collection to the United States, pledges funds for construction of a National Gallery of Art, and cre- ates an endowment for the Gal- lery. The National Gallery opens to the public in 1941. 1937 In Congress, Representative Wil- liam I. Sirovich (D-N.Y.) intro- duces House Joint Resolution 79 to establish a Department of Sci- ence, Art and Literature to be headed by a Cabinet-rank officer. Later in the year, Representative John M. Coffee (D-Wash.) intro- duces H.R. 8239 to establish a Bureau of Fine Arts. Neither pro- posal is reported out of committee. 1938 Then-Senator Claude Pepper (D- Fla.) introduces S. 3296 providing for creation of a Bureau of Fine Arts. The bill is not reported out of committee. 1948-49 The country's first local arts agen- cies are established: the Quincy Society of Fine Arts in Illinois and the Winston-Salem Arts Coun- cil in North Carolina. 1949 Congressman Jacob K. Javits (R- N.Y.) introduces House Joint Resolution 104 in the First Ses- sion of the 81st Congress to pro- vide for a national theater and na- tional opera and ballet. Javits stresses that he is not talking 8 about a physical structure, but rather an "integrated, country- wide organization aided by the federal government." The Resolu- tion is not reported out of committee. 1951 President Harry S Truman asks the Commission of Fine Arts to investigate ways in which the arts could be helped by the federal government. 1953 The Commission of Fine Arts re- ports to President Dwight D. Ei- senhower. Eventually acted upon (in 1958) is the report's recom- mendation that a cultural center be established in Washington, D.C., under the jurisdiction of the federal government. 1955 President Eisenhower, in his State of the Union Address, advocates the establishment of a Federal Advisory Commission on the Arts: "In the advancement of the vari- ous activities which would make our civilization endure and flour- ish, the federal government should do more to give official recognition to the importance of the arts and other cultural activities." 1955 Numerous bills to support the arts introduced in Congress dur- ing 1955 and the next several years, but no action beyond very limited hearings taken. Nelson Rockefeller, then Undersecretary of Health, Education and Welfare, pushes for establishment of a Na- tional Council on the Arts but is unsuccessful in Congress. 1957 The Ford Foundation launches the first national program of sup- port for the arts. This support, which by 1976 exceeds $320 mil- lion, continues today. 1958 President Eisenhower signs PL. 85-874 to establish a National Cul- tural Center in Washington, D.C., for all the performing arts, later to be named the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. I960 New York State Council on the Arts founded by Governor Nelson Rockefeller. I960 Associated Councils of the Arts founded to provide informational, training, research and publication services to state and community arts agencies and to act as a na- tional advocate for the arts. Name changed in 1977 to American Council for the Arts. Nov. 8, I960 John F. Kennedy elected Presi dent of the United States. Feb. 9, 1961 Representative Frank Thompson (D-N.J.) introduces H.R. 4172 to establish an advisory council on the arts, within the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, that would act as a coordinating body between private and gov- ernment arts activities. Hearings are held, but the bill is defeated in the House. 10 Sept. 2, 1961 President Kennedy appoints Roger L. Stevens Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National Cultural Center. March 1962 President Kennedy appoints Au- gust Heckscher as his Special Consultant on the Arts and asks him to prepare a report on the relationship between the arts and the federal government. Jan. 14, 1963 Senator Javits (R-N.Y.) introduces S. 165 "to establish a United States National Arts Foundation." Initial cosponsors are Senators Jo- seph Clark (D-Pa.), Hubert Hum- phrey (D-Minn.), and Claiborne Pell (D-R.I.). April 11, 1963 Senator Humphrey introduces S. 1316 "to establish a National Council on the Arts and a Na- tional Arts Foundation to assist in the growth and development of the arts in the United States." Ini- tial cosponsors are Senators Clark, John Sherman Cooper (R-Ky), Ja- vits, Russell B. Long (D-La.), Lee Metcalf (D-Mont.), Pell, Jennings Randolph (D-W.Va.), Abraham Ribicoff (D-Conn.), and Hugh Scott (R-Pa.). May 28, 1963 August Heckscher submits his re- port, "The Arts and the National Government," which recom- mends the establishment of an Advisory Council on the Arts and a National Arts Foundation to ad- minister grants-in-aid. 11 June 12, 1963 By Executive Order 11112, Presi- dent Kennedy establishes the President's Advisor}" Council on the Arts. (xMembers are not ap- pointed before Kennedy is assassinated.) "We have agencies of the Gov- ernment which are concerned with the welfare and advance- ment of science and technology, of education, recreation, and health. We should now begin to give similar attention to the arts." Oct. 26, 1963 President Kennedy at the dedica- tion of a new library at Amherst College says: "I see little of more importance to the future of our country and our civilization than full recogni- tion of the place of the artist. If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him." Oct. 28, 1963 Senator Pell, Chairman of the Senate Special Subcommittee on the Arts, opens five days of hear- ings on S. 165 and S. 1316. Nov. 22, 1963 President Kennedy is assassi- nated. Lyndon B. Johnson is sworn in as his successor. Dec. 20, 1963 The Senate passes S. 23^9, which combines the provisions of the two earlier bills, S. 165 and S. 1316, to establish a National Council on the Arts and a Na- tional Arts Foundation. 12 Jan. 8, 1964 In the House, Representative Thompson introduces H.R. 9586 "to provide for the establishment of a National Council on the Arts to assist in the growth and devel- opment of the arts in the United States," and H.R. 9587 "to pro- vide for the establishment of a National Council on the Arts and a National Arts Foundation to as- sist in the growth and develop- ment of the arts in the United States." Jan. 23, 1964 President Johnson signs Senate Joint Resolution 136, renaming the National Cultural Center the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and designating the Center as Kennedy's official memorial in Washington. May 13, 1964 President Johnson names Roger L. Stevens Special Assistant to the President on the Arts, the first full-time arts advisor. Aug. 20, 1964 H.R. 9586, to establish a National Council on the Arts, passes the House of Representatives by a vote of 213 to 135. Aug. 21, 1964 The Senate passes H.R. 9586 by voice vote. Sept. 3, 1964 President Johnson signs PL. 88- 579 (the National Arts and Cul- tural Development Act of 1964) establishing the National Council on the Arts and providing for a chairman, the Secretary of the Smithsonian ex officio, and 24 other members to "recommend ways to maintain and increase the 13 cultural resources of the Nation and to encourage and develop greater appreciation and enjoy- ment of the arts by its citizens." Oct. 7, 1964 PL. 88-635 signed, providing a Fiscal 1965 appropriation of $50,000 for the National Council on the Arts. Dec. 2, 1964 President Johnson breaks ground for the Kennedy Center: "No act of Congress or Executive Order can call a great musician or poet into existence. But we can stand on the sidelines and cheer. We can maintain and strengthen an atmosphere to permit the arts to flourish, and those who have talent to use it. And we can seek to enlarge the access of all our people to artistic creation." Feb. -March 1965 Special subcommittees of both Houses of Congress (chaired by Pell in the Senate and Thompson in the House) hold hearings on legislation to establish a National Arts Foundation. Feb. 23, 1965 President Johnson appoints 24 members and one ex-officio member as the National Council on the Arts. March 10, 1965 President Johnson asks the 89th Congress to establish the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities: 14 "This Congress will consider many programs which will leave an enduring mark on American life. But it may well be that pas- sage of this legislation, modest as it is, will help secure for this Con- gress a sure and honored place in the story of the advance of our civilization." Administration bills are intro- duced in both Houses of Con- gress: Pell introduces S. 1483 in the Senate and Thompson intro- duces H.R. 6050 in the House. March 11, 1965 President Johnson appoints Roger L. Stevens Chairman of the Na- tional Council on the Arts. March 19, 1965 The Rockefeller Brothers Fund is- sues the results of a two-year study entitled "The Performing Arts: Problems and Prospects" which lists a number of recom- mendations including one that says: "... while private support should remain dominant, the fed- eral government — together with state and local governments — should give strong support to the arts, including the performing arts, by appropriate recognition of their importance, by direct and in- direct encouragement, and by fi- nancial cooperation." Nancy Hanks is director of the Special Studies Project staff which compiles the report. 15 April 9-10, 1965 The first meeting of the National Council on the Arts starts at the White House with President Johnson swearing in the members (see page 51): "Our civilization will largely sur- vive in the works of our creation. There is a quality in art which speaks across the gulf dividing man from man and nation from nation, and century from century. That quality confirms the faith that our common hopes may be more enduring than our conflict- ing hostilities. Even now men of affairs are struggling to catch up with the insights of great art. The stakes may well be the survival of civilization." June 10, 1965 Senate debates and passes an amended S. 1483 to establish a National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities. June 24-27, 1965 Second meeting of the National Council on the Arts held at Tarrytown, N.Y. Sept. 15, 1965 House passes S. 1483, with amendments, in lieu of H.R. 9460. (H.R. 9460 incorporates the pro- posals of the Administration bill, H.R. 6050, and amendments re- flecting suggestions made by witnesses.) Sept. 16, 1965 Senate agrees with House amend- ments and passes legislation establishing the National Founda- tion on the Arts and the Human- ities as an umbrella for the Na- tional Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities and their respec- tive Councils. 16 Sept. 29, 1965 President Johnson signs PL. 89-209, the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act:* "Art is a nation's most precious heritage. For it is in our works of art that we reveal to ourselves, and to others, the inner vision which guides us as a nation. And where there is no vision, the peo- ple perish." Under the new law, Arts Council membership is increased from 24 to 26. The Chairman of the previ- ously established National Coun- cil on the Arts (Roger Stevens) becomes Chairman of the Arts En- dowment as well. (Henry Allen Moe becomes Chairman of the Humanities Endowment.) Fiscal 1966 With its first appropriations bill (July 1, 1965- signed October 31, 1965, the Na- June 30, 1966) tional Endowment for the Arts starts its first fiscal year with only eight months remaining, a budget of $2.5 million, and fewer than a dozen employees. The Endowment ends the year with six active programs: Music, Dance, Literature, Visual Arts, Theater and Education. Some 22 institutions and 135 individuals are funded. Roger Stevens says: "We believe that the time has come for our society to give not merely ceremonial honor to the arts, but genuine attention and substantive support." * The Foundation is composed of the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endow- ment for the Humanities, and the interagency committee of federal officials called the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities. The Foundation has no administrative or program- ming identity separate from its components. Each of the two Endowments is served by its re- spective advisory body, the National Council on the Arts or the National Council on the Humanities. 17 Nov. 13-15, Third meeting of the National 1965 Council on the Arts held in Tarrytown, N.Y. The Council dis- cusses the question of whether to use outside panels and resolves that: "... the Chairman ... ap- point committees of interested and qualified persons or organiza- tions to advise the Council with respect to projects, policies or special studies as may be under- taken by the Council from time to time." The Council requests a feasibility study which later (1967) results in the establishment of the Amer- ican Film Institute. Programs of individual grants to choreogra- phers to create and produce dance works and professional theater company performances for secondary school students are launched. Dec. 20, 1965 Vice President Hubert Humphrey presents a check for $100,000, representing the Arts Endow- ment's first grant, to the American Ballet Theatre. The New York Herald Tribune reports: "The Treasury of the United States has saved a national trea- sure. Not directly, perhaps, but the taxpayers, through the govern- ment's recently established Na- tional Council on the Arts, saved the American Ballet Theatre from extinction." Jan. 1966 The Dance Panel, the Endow- ment's first formal panel of out- side experts, meets and forwards its recommendations to the Na- tional Council. 18 Feb. 11-12, National Council on the Arts 1966 holds its fourth meeting, this time in Washington, D.C. The Martha Graham Dance Company is rec- ommended for funding to make its first national tour in 15 years, and a grant also goes to the Rob- ert Joffrey Ballet. "Dialogues on the Art of Poetry," the poets- in- the-schools pilot program, is launched by the Literature Pro- gram in school systems in New York City, Detroit and Pittsburgh. Based on the recommendation of its Film Advisory Committee, the Council recommends a contract to the Stanford Research Institute to study further the question of founding an American Film Institute. Roger Stevens announces the re- ceipt of $100,000 from the Martin Foundation, the first donation to the special "Treasury account," established under the legislation and requiring a 3 to 1 match in non-federal to federal funds. May 13-15, Fifth National Council on the Arts 1966 meeting takes place in Tarrytown, N.Y. The Federal-State Partner- ship Program, mandated by law to begin in Fiscal Year 1967, is launched, with $2 million to be made available, on a matching ba- sis, to 50 states and five special ju- risdictions (American Samoa, Dis- trict of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands) . Only American Samoa is unable to meet the provisions of the grant. The first grants for not-for-profit professional theaters are recom- mended. Funds are set aside for 19 an in public places. The Council discusses and later recommends ways to involve the United States in international arts events. Fiscal 1967 (July I 1966- June 30, 196^) Chairman Stevens warns that "there is at the present time, in the performing arts alone, an in- come gap ... of about $20 to $23 million per year. This figure will reach at least $60 million by 1975." Stevens adds that "the fed- eral government cannot, and should not, be expected to carry the total burden. This must be a cooperative effort, to include pri- vate enterprise, foundations, state and municipal support, regional organizations and individual contributions For its first full fiscal year of oper- ation the Endowment budget is $7,965,692 and new programs in Architecture, Planning and Design (now Design Arts), Federal-State (now State Programs) and Public Media I now Media Arts) are added. Expenditures include $1,00^,500 for Theater, $892," 7 80 for Education and $39,500 for Folk Arts. A Music Advisory Panel is established. Aug. 26-27, 1966 At its sixth meeting, in Washing- ton. D.C.. the National Council on the Arts recommends the first grants to individual creative writ- ers, three pilot museum projects, opera touring, public television projects and others. 20 Nov. 21, 1966 Professors William J. Baumol and William G. Bowen collaborate to produce "Performing Arts — The Economic Dilemma," published by The Twentieth Century Fund. The book supports the earlier Rockefeller Report and adds the sobering conclusion that "the need of the performing groups for contributed funds is likely to continue to grow ever larger." Dec. 14-15, Seventh meeting of the National 1966 Council on the Arts is held at the State Department in Washington. An initial fund of $1.3 million is set aside for an American Film In- stitute and a series of grants is made in the field of architecture and design. A program of individ- ual grants for painters and sculp- tors is launched. May 12-14, At its eighth meeting, in 1967 Tarrytown, N.Y., the National Council on the Arts formally rec- ommends that an American Film Institute be set up with $1.3 mil- lion coming from the Endowment and matching private donations of $1.3 million from the Ford Foun- dation and $1.3 million from the member companies of the Motion Picture Association of America. In Music, the Audience Develop- ment Project is established to fund presenters of local concert series for young or unknown art- ists, and grants are recommended to assist individual composers. The Literature Program offers as- sistance to non-commercial presses. 21 June 5, 1967 The American Film Institute is es- tablished as a non-profit, non-gov- ernment corporation with George Stevens, Jr., as Director and Greg- ory Peck as Chairman of the Board. The AFI is to preserve and develop the nation's artistic and cultural resources in film. June 20, 1967 President Johnson requests the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities to prepare a re- port on the status of the nation's museums. The Federal Council commissions the American Asso- ciation of Museums to undertake this project. Fiscal 1968 Endowment budget is $7.2 mil- Quly 1, 196" 7 - lion and grants are made to 187 June 30, 1968) individuals and 276 organizations. Reauthorization is approved by Congress for two more years of operation despite some criticism about aiding the arts during the nation's growing involvement in Vietnam. Two endeavors are added: a dance touring program and grants for museums to purchase the works of living American artists. The "American Musical Digest" is launched with the Endowment's support to strengthen music criti- cism through excerpting, translat- ing and reprinting articles and re- views on American music and artists from local, national and in- ternational publications. The first grant for regional arts program- ming goes to the Federation of Rocky Mountain States for an au- dience development project. 22 July 17, 1967 Ninth National Council on the Arts meeting held in Los Angeles. The conversion of the old Bell Telephone Laboratories on New York's Lower West Side into a na- tional artists' housing center is discussed. (An Endowment matching grant with the J.M. Kaplan Fund makes this project possible, and groundbreaking for Westbeth takes place on June 21, 1968.) Six regional dance compa- nies are recommended for support. Nov. 3-4, 1967 Tenth meeting of the National Council on the Arts held in Wash- ington, D.C. Support for literary festivals and grants to young writ- ers are recommended, as is fund- ing to help establish the Theatre Development Fund. Arts dem- onstration projects in New York City, Buffalo, Minneapolis and Louisville are funded in partner- ship with the newly formed AFL/ CIO Council for Scientific, Profes- sional and Cultural Employees. Fall 1967 At the instigation of David Rocke- feller and other corporate leaders, the Business Committee for the Arts is established under the Chairmanship of C. Douglas Dil- lon to stimulate corporate support for the arts. June 14, 1968 At its twelfth meeting, in New York City, the National Council on the Arts discusses proposed support for inner-city arts pro- grams in 16 of the nation's largest cities during the summer of 1968. A fund-raising benefit is held 23 June 26 in New York and raises $200,000 for the project. When matched by the Treasury account, $400,000 is available; this eventu- ally generates $1.2 million when matched at the local level. Fiscal 1969 (July 1, 1968- June 30, 1969) Endowment budget is $7.8 mil- lion with $326,750 going to Ar- chitecture, $641,627 to Dance, $526,450 to Education, $332,000 to Literature, $861,620 to Music, $222,200 to Public Media, $1,007,600 to Theater, $336,800 to Visual Arts, $469,550 to Coordi- nated Arts, and $1.7 million to the Federal-State Partnership. For- mal panels now exist in Architec- ture, Dance, Music, Theater and Visual Arts; informal advisory groups serve Education and Lit- erature. A $100,000 transfer from the Office of Education/HEW to the Endowment's Education Pro- gram initiates a program placing visual artists in secondary schools. Nov. 25, 1968 "The Condition and Needs of America's Museums" (The Bel- mont Report) is sent to President Johnson by the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities. Jan. 20, 1969 Richard M. Nixon is sworn in as President of the United States. March 11, 1969 Roger Stevens' term expires as first Chairman of the Endowment. June 1, 1969 Leonard Garment named Special Consultant to the President. His responsibilities include the arts and humanities. 24 Fiscal 1970 Endowment budget, prepared by (July 1, 1969- Roger Stevens, is $8,250,000. This June 30, 1970) includes $4.25 million for Pro- grams, $2 million for state block grants and an additional $2 mil- lion for the Treasury account. Building on the success of the vi- sual artists-in-residence project in 1969, the Artists-in-Schools Pro- gram receives $900,000 in transfer funds from the U.S. Office of Education and brings more than 300 artists to elementary and sec- ondary school students in 31 states. The Music Program expands to include pilot programs for jazz and for orchestras. The Endow- ment provides $600,000 from the Treasury account, matching pri- vate donations to help establish the National Opera Institute, a project initiated by Roger Stevens during his chairmanship. Oct. 6, 1969 Nancy Hanks is sworn in as Chair- man of the Endowment by Presi- dent Nixon. She says: "The arts, defined broadly, pos- sess enormous potential for stimulating humaneness, eco- nomic health and new life in our communities." "It is part of the essential idea of our country that the lives of the people should be advanced in freedom and in comprehension of the tough and soaring qualities of the spirit. This is not possible without the arts. They are not a luxury; they are a necessity." 25 Dec. 10, 1969 President Nixon, in a special mes- sage to Congress, says: "The attention and support we give the arts and the humanities, especially as they affect our young people, represent a vital part of our commitment to en- hancing the quality of life for all Americans." President Nixon asks the Con- gress to reauthorize the two En- dowments for another three years. Fiscal 1971 The first Nancy Hanks budget is (July 1, 1970- $15.1 million, almost double that June 30, 1971) for Fiscal 1970. The Museum Pro- gram is launched, as is the Expan- sion Arts Program for profes- sionally directed, community- based arts activities. A full pro- gram of support for symphony or- chestras is put into place. The Vi- sual Arts Program formalizes support for photography. Existing peer review panels are expanded and additional panels are established for the Literature, Museum, Expansion Arts, Public Media and Special Projects (now Inter- Arts) Programs. As American Samoa matches its first grant, all 55 eligible state and jurisdictional arts agencies are, for the first time, receiving Basic State Grants. May 26, 1971 President Nixon addresses the As- sociated Councils of the Arts meeting in Washington, D.C.: 26 "The important thing now is that government has accepted support of the arts as one of its respon- sibilities — not only on the federal level, but on the state and local levels as well. And increasingly, governments at all levels see this not only as a responsibility but also as an opportunity — for there is a growing recognition that few investments in the quality of life in America pay off so handsomely as the money spent to stimulate the arts." The President directs all federal agencies and executive depart- ments to see how the arts can benefit their programs and how their programs might assist artists. Fiscal 1972 Endowment budget nearly dou- (July 1, 1971- bles again— to $29,750,000— and June 30, 1972) existing programs are expanded. Full programs of support are es- tablished for opera companies and for jazz. Dance Program ex- pands to offer assistance for re- gional development of resident professional companies. Museum Program launches major effort to support conservation and renova- tion projects to enable museums to preserve and care for their col- lections more effectively. Public Media Program expands to in- clude regional film center sup- port. The first regional represen- tative begins work in the Northwest. There are now ten advisory pan- els. Nancy Hanks notes that panel members will serve on a rotating basis with terms of approximately three years. Under this new sys- tem, the first rotation will occur in July of 1972. 27 May 16, 1972 President Nixon, acting on the re- sponses to the 1971 survey of fed- eral agencies and executive de- partments and on the recommen- dations of the National Council on the Arts, announces govern- ment initiatives in design. The Arts Endowment is the lead agency for the Federal Design Improvement Program, to help upgrade federal architecture, de- sign and graphics. Fiscal 1973 (July 1, 1972- June 30, 1973) Endowment budget is $38.2 mil- lion. Advisory panelists now num- ber over 200, including such well-known individuals as Zelda Fichandler and Harold Prince on Theater, Roy Lichtenstein and George Segal on Visual Arts, Ju- lian "Cannonball" Adderley, Rise Stevens, Robert Shaw and Gian- Carlo Menotti on Music, and Toni Morrison and Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. on Literature. The Visual Arts Program offers Craftsmen's Fellowships. The Artrain, begun in Michigan in 1971 and supported by the En- dowment, moves west to visit 30 towns in New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Nevada. April 2-3, 1973 First Federal Design Assembly, sponsored by the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities, is held to increase the awareness of federal administrators of the im- portance of good design. Fiscal 1974 (July 1, 1973- June 30, 1974) Endowment budget is $60,775,000: $46 million for Pro- grams, $8.3 million for the state arts agencies and $6.5 million for the Treasury account. President 28 Nixon signs another reauthoriza- tion, and Nancy Hanks is ap- pointed to a second four-year term as Chairman. (During her first term, the budget increased from $8.25 million to $60.78 mil- lion, an increase of 637 percent.) A new effort is launched to ex- pand and coordinate Endowment support for the folk arts. The City Options program is started to pro- mote community cooperation in the design of future environ- ments. The Artists-in-Schools Pro- gram grows to 1 ,750 artists work- ing in elementary and secondary schools in every state and special jurisdiction. The Council adopts a resolution encouraging greater accessibility of cultural activities for disabled individuals. The Endowment publishes "Mu- seums USA," the first comprehen- sive statistical study of the na- tion's museums. A Bicentennial Committee of the National Council is established. Nancy Hanks says: "As we approach the 200th birth- day of this nation, it is important to give thought to the kind of country we want to be in our third century and beyond, and to the deepening purpose of the arts in this projection for our future society." Spring 1974 A special $1 million two-year grant, a precursor of the Chal- lenge Grant Program, is given to the Metropolitan Opera. 29 Fiscal 1975 Endowment budget is (July 1, 1974- $74,750,000. More than 14,000 June 30, 1975) applications for aid are reviewed. Staffing is more than 250. Encouraged by the success of ear- lier specials featuring the Ameri- can Ballet Theatre and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, an Endowment grant to the Educa- tional Broadcasting Corporation (WNET-TV) initiates the "Dance in America" series on public tele- vision. The series premieres in January 1976 with a feature on the Joffrey Ballet. Beginning in Fiscal 1975, instead of authorizing a specific dollar amount for the state arts agencies as the original bill had done, the reauthorization stipulates that no less than 20 percent of all pro- gram funds must go to the state arts agencies and "regional orga- nizations," with 75 percent of this amount being divided among the state arts agencies in equal shares. Each of the 50 states and five special jurisdictions is eligi- ble to receive at least $200,000 to support local programs. The two-year City Spirit program is launched, with $2 million avail- able in matching grants for cities, towns and neighborhoods to strengthen and showcase their own cultural heritage and creativity. Aug. 9, 1974 President Nixon resigns the Presi- dency and Gerald R. Ford is sworn in to office. Aug. 23, 1974 In a letter to Nancy Hanks on the upcoming second Federal Design 30 Assembly (September 11-12, 1974), President Ford says: "I firmly believe that, in order to inspire the people's pride in their Government, we must provide them with manifest evidence of its vitality, creativity and effi- ciency by setting the highest stan- dards in architectural design, environmental planning and vi- sual communication." Sept. 12, 1974 The National Assembly of State Arts Agencies is incorporated to represent the common interests of the 50 state and five jurisdic- tional arts agencies. (The forerun- ner to the National Assembly, the North American Assembly of State and Provincial Arts Agencies, had been set up as an affiliate of the Associated Councils of the Arts in June 1968.) Nov. 21, 1974 The Arts Endowment and the Ex- xon Corporation announce a joint venture to help Affiliate Artists develop young conductors for po- sitions as music directors in American symphony orchestras. Exxon's partnership with the En- dowment, later extended to pub- lic television programs and other efforts, continues today. Fiscal 1976 (July 1, 1975- June 30, 1976) and Transition Quarter" (July 1, 1976- Sept30, 1976) Congressman Sidney R. Yates (D- 111.) assumes Chairmanship of House appropriations subcommit- tee with responsibility for the Endowment. Endowment budget is $82 mil- lion for Fiscal Year 1976 and $34 million for the July 1 -September 30, 1976 "Transition Quarter" 31 which bridges the gap caused by the change in the federal fiscal year. Sept. 29-30 Tenth Anniversary of the Endow- 1975 ment is celebrated at the Lyndon B. Johnson Library, Austin, Texas, with the National Council, Lady Bird Johnson, Nancy Hanks, Hu- bert Humphrey, Jacob Javits, Kirk Douglas, James Wyeth, Robert Merrill and scores of others. Bev- erly Sills points out that although the Endowment budget has in- creased to $75 million, "what we cannot be is complacent or satis- fied because there are a great many cities in this country that don't give one nickel towards their own cultural institutions." Miss Sills also tells the two-day symposium that "... art is the sig- nature of civilization." "The Arts: Years of Development, Time of Decision," a report on that symposium, is later pub- lished by the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas. Dec. 20, 1975 President Ford signs into law S. 1800, the Arts and Artifacts In- demnity Act, authorizing the fed- eral government, under certain circumstances, to indemnify cer- tain art, artifacts and other objects to be exhibited internationally. Fiscal 1977 Endowment budget is $94 mil- (Oct. 1, 1976- lion and more than 300 panelists Sept. 30, 1977) help judge the merits of applica- tions from the field. The Media Arts Program sets up the Short Film Showcase to help show the works of independent filmmakers in commercial movie houses nationwide. 32 Oct. 8, 1976 President Ford signs into law re- authorization for the Endowment for four more years. Chief Con- gressional sponsors are Congress- man John Brademas (D-Ind.) and Senator Claiborne Pell. Council members, for the first time, re- quire Senate confirmation. Chal- lenge Grants are authorized. Con- gress establishes the Institute of Museum Services to provide gen- eral operating support to museums. Nancy Hanks, commenting on the Challenge Grant Program, notes: "But regardless of who the suc- cessful applicants are, the Endow- ment has injected a stimulus into the arts that will be felt far be- yond the modest federal funds expended. One federal dollar can generate three or four private dol- lars and 75 percent of those pri- vate contributors are likely to contribute again." Nov. 2, 1976 Jimmy Carter elected President of the United States. May 13-15 1977 The National Assembly of State Arts Agencies' Federal/State Study Committee completes 18 months of work with a recommendation that "an ongoing, structured pro- cess of policy planning between the Endowment and the state arts agencies be established on a for- mal, Endowment- wide basis." May 23-27, The first White House Confer- 1977 ence on Handicapped Individuals focuses attention on the accessi- bility of cultural programs and fa- cilities and the participation of disabled individuals in the arts. 33 June 16-17, National Support the Arts Confer- 1977 ence held in Washington, D.C., to "find ways to help local arts insti- tutions help themselves in their efforts to gain long-term stability and independence," Nancy Hanks tells the conference. July 27, 1977 Round I Challenge Grants an- nounced with 59 grants, benefit- ing 66 organizations, funded at $27,345,000 over two years. Aug. 1977 As one of her last acts at the En- dowment, Nancy Hanks estab- lishes a Task Force on the Educa- tion, Training and Development of Professional Artists and Arts Educators. Aug. 12-14 A year-long reassessment of the 1977 federal-state partnership in sup- port of the arts culminates in a re- port to the National Council on the Arts calling for expansion of the partnership concept to in- clude federal, state, regional and local public arts agencies; leader- ship in national arts advocacy; and leadership in addressing the needs of new and minority constituencies. Fiscal 1978 Fiscal 1978 budget is (Oct. 1, 1977- $123,850,000, and on October 2, Sept. 30, 1978) 1977, Nancy Hanks leaves the Chairmanship of the Endowment at the close of her second term. (The Arts Endowment's budget increased 1,400 percent during her two terms.) 34 Vice President Walter Mondale's wife Joan is named Honorary Chairperson of the Federal Coun- cil on the Arts and the Human- ities and takes an active role in promoting the arts. Nov. 11-13, 1977 The Endowment encourages establishment of a 23-member task force to determine the needs of the Hispanic arts community in the U.S. and to recommend ways to strengthen their arts and their relationships with the Arts Endowment. Nov. 30, 1977 Livingston L. Biddle, Jr., nomi- nated by President Carter, is sworn in as third Chairman of the Endowment: "The arts . . . embark us on the oceans of self-discovery. They quicken our awareness. They ex- tend our imagination. They sharpen our eyes and ears and minds toward opportunities for new insights." Chairman Biddle stresses "access to the best — access for all Ameri- cans to art of the highest quality." During Fiscal 1978, Biddle re- moves grant ceilings to give the advisory panels more discretion in recommending grant amounts. He also reorganizes the Endow- ment administration, naming three deputy chairmen: for Pro- grams; Policy and Planning; and Intergovernmental Activities. He places limits on the terms of of- fice for program directors. The Folk Arts Program, once part of Special Projects, is made a sep- arate program to support the preservation and presentation of 35 traditional arts. The Opera-Musi- cal Theater Program is begun to help "broaden the concept of music theater and to make this art form available to an expanding audience." The Office of Minority Concerns is created to act as liai- son between the Endowment and minority arts groups and artists. The number of grant applications reaches nearly 20,000. Summer 1978 The National Assembly of Com- munity Arts Agencies, a commit- tee within the Associated Coun- cils of the Arts since the early 1970's, sets itself up as an inde- pendent organization to represent the interests of local arts agen- cies. (Name is changed to Na- tional Assembly of Local Arts Agencies in 1982.) Fiscal 1979 (Oct. 1, 1978- Sept. 30, 1979) Endowment budget, initiated by Nancy Hanks in fall 1977, is $149,585,000. The Endowment now involves more than 500 pan- elists and 325 staff members. An- nual state appropriations for the arts have increased from $2.7 mil- lion in 1966 to more than $80 million. The number of commu- nity arts agencies has increased from about 150 in 1966 to some 2,000. The International Communica- tion Agency (now the United States Information Agency) and the Endowment agree to work to- gether on American arts program- ming abroad. The Music Program recognizes choruses and chamber music as separate categories of need and support. A National Council on the Arts/National As- sembly of State Arts Agencies Joint Policy Committee is estab- lished to advise the National 36 Council on policy issues involv- ing the public arts agency part- nership. The Commonwealth Council for Arts and Culture of the Northern Mariana Islands be- comes the 56th agency to receive Basic State Grant support. Oct. 10, 1978 Challenge Grant Program, in its second round of grants, awards 102 grants totalling $30,730,500 to benefit 125 organizations. Dec. 1978 The Endowment establishes a Task Force on Community Pro- gram Policy to examine and make policy recommendations regard- ing the relationships between the Endowment and state and local arts agencies and organizations. Fiscal 1980 Endowment budget is (Oct. 1, 1979- $154,610,000 (up only marginally Sept. 30, 1980) over Fiscal 1979 due to increasing concern over federal budget deficits) . A White House reception marks the Endowment's 15th Anniver- sary, and Chairman Biddle says: "Nothing is more enviable — or daunting — than the opportunity to make a practical reality out of a visionary dream. Yet today we see the phrases of the legislation that created the National Endowment for the Arts 15 years ago trans- lated into goals, programs and accomplishments." The Inter- Arts Program , formerly Special Projects, formalizes its support of arts presenters, artists' colonies, services and interdisci- plinary arts projects. The Folk Arts Program announces the 37 establishment of National Heri- tage Fellowships to honor exem- plary traditional artists. The Music Program offers support for festi- vals, recordings of American mu- sic, professional training, and solo recitalists. The Theater Program extends its support of playwrights, directors, designers and other theater artists through fellowships and funding of residencies. The Office of Federal -State Part- nership splits into two offices: State Programs, which gives block grants to state and regional arts agencies, and Partnership Coordi- nation, which works with other federal arts programs, state, re- gional and local arts agencies and professional arts organizations. The Artists-in-Schools Program evolves into the Artists in Educa- tion Program with grants to state arts agencies for artists' residen- cies in schools and other settings, special pilot learning projects and technical services. The first Advancement Grants, ranging from $20,000 to $150,000, are given to a select group of Ex- pansion Arts organizations that produce excellent work in their field but need help to develop as institutions. Fiscal 1981 Endowment budget is (Oct. I 1980- $158,795,000. The agency is re- Sept. 30, 1981) authorized through Fiscal Year 1985. Media Arts Program launches support on a regional basis for individual media artists. Record number of applications — 27,000— received. Nov. 4, 1980 Ronald Reagan elected President of the United States. 38 Feb. 1-3, 1981 As part of the White House Con- ference on Aging, the Endow- ment sponsors a symposium fo- cusing on the need, demand and character of arts and humanities programs for older Americans. June 5, 1981 President Reagan appoints a Presidential Task Force on the Arts and the Humanities (see page 51) to review the purposes, activities and records of the Arts and Humanities Endowments. Co- chaired by Charlton Heston, Hanna H. Gray, President of the University of Chicago, and Daniel J. Terra, Ambassador-at- Large for Cultural Affairs, the Task Force is asked to find methods of increas- ing private support for the arts and humanities; to bring more non-governmental professionals, private groups and individuals into the Endowments' decision- making processes; and to find ways of improving the manage- ment, organization and structure of the two Endowments and the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities. When naming the Task Force, President Reagan notes: "Our cul- tural institutions are an essential national resource. They must be kept strong." Fiscal 1982 Endowment budget is (Oct. 1, 1981- $143,456,000 (a cut of 10 percent Sept. 30, 1982) due to rising federal budget deficits). The first National Heritage Fel- lowships in the Folk Arts honor 15 outstanding folk artists. 39 Fall 1981 With the help of Endowment grants, the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies publishes "All in Order: Information Systems for the Arts," which includes the Na- tional Standard for Arts Informa- tion Exchange. The Standard pro- vides a basis for coordinated information management in the arts. Oct. 14, 1981 At a White House luncheon, Pres- ident Reagan introduces to the Presidential Task Force on the Arts and the Humanities Frank Hodsoll, Deputy Assistant to the President, as his nominee for Chairman of the Endowment. The Task Force Report is submit- ted and includes recommenda- tions that the existing structure of the two Endowments be kept; that the professional panel review systems be continued; that adjust- ments in the tax code be made to stimulate private philanthropy; and that coordination and cooper- ation among federal, state and lo- cal arts agencies be strengthened. In accepting the Task Force Re- port, President Reagan says: "The Endowments, which began in 1965, account for only 10 per- cent of the donations to art and scholarship. Nonetheless, they have served an important role in catalyzing additional private sup- port, assisting excellence in arts and letters, and helping to assure the availability of an and scholarship." Nov. 6, 1981 Frank Hodsoll tells Senator Rob- ert T Stafford (R-Vt.) at his con- firmation hearing: 40 "I believe we have to rely more on state and local, and particularly private, support ... It has always been the case in America that the preponderance of support for the arts and humanities, and indeed for a number of other institutions, has come from the private sector." Nov. 13, 1981 Following Senate confirmation on November 10th, Frank Hodsoll is sworn in as the fourth Chairman of the Endowment by Chief Jus- tice Warren E. Burger. Former Chairmen Stevens, Hanks and Biddle are present for the swear- ing-in, which occurs at the begin- ning of the 70th meeting of the National Council on the Arts. Chairman Hodsoll stresses the Endowment's mission is to "foster the excellence, diversity and vital- ity of the arts and to help broaden the availability and appreciation of such excellence, diversity and vitality." The key themes, he says, are "excellence" and "reaching all Americans." Hodsoll also pre- pares for longer-range support of the arts through strengthening the Challenge and Advancement Pro- grams, increasing the emphasis on excellence in Endowment funding, improving and stream- lining the Endowment's adminis- tration and strengthening the public/private partnership to en- courage greater private support. 41 June 15. 1982 President Reagan establishes the Presidents Committee on the Arts and the Humanities to help stim- ulate increased private support and to promote recognition of ex- cellence in these fields. The Committee has a membership of up to 34 federal and non-federal members. The Chairman is An- drew Heiskell; the Vice Chairmen are Armand S. Deutsch and W Barnabas McHenrv. (See page 52.) Fiscal 1983 Endowment budget is (Oct. 1, 1982- $l43.8"'5.000. Sept. 30, 1983) President Reagan says: "We sup- port the work of the National En- dowment for the Arts to stimulate excellence and make art more available to more of our people." Among the initiatives begun by the Endowment is the Test Pro- gram of Support for Local Arts Agencies, designed to leverage sustainable increases in local gov- ernment support for the arts while improving administration and planning. The Literature Pro- gram starts a project to publish short stories in newspapers. Curriculum-based, sequential arts education from kindergarten through 1 2th grade is given a high priority* by Frank Hodsoll. A series of regional meetings is scheduled, and discussions with the J. Paul Getty Trust and others are begun to bring television more directly into the arts educa- tion process. Challenge II. Challenge Grants for which previous recipients are eligible, is begun; their purpose is focused on stimulating im- 42 provements in balance sheets for the very 7 best arts institutions. Ad- vancement Grants are opened up to all of the discipline fields. A new initiative begins in the Inter- Arts Program to assist state and re- gional arts agencies to increase dance presentation nationwide. The Visual Arts Program begins assistance to regional arts orga- nizations to provide fellowships for emerging visual artists. The National Council on the Arts National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NCA/NASAA) Commit- tee expands to include the Na- tional Assembly of Local Arts Agencies (NALAA). NCA/NASAA NALAA Committee meetings are scheduled regularly to precede each meeting of the National Council on the Arts. Jan. 7, 1983 Nancy Hanks, the Endowment's second Chairman, dies after a long battle against cancer. "She was an extraordinary lady who had her heart in the right place and the ability 7 to get things done,'" Hodsoll says. "That's a rare combination." Jan. 26, 1983 President Reagan requests Con- gress to name the Old Post Office complex in Washington, which is to be the new home of the two Endowments, the Nancy Hanks Center. On February 15, President Reagan signs Public Law 98-1, the first bill of the new Congress, into law, stating: "This designation is particularly apt since the renovation of the Old Post Office, its occupancy this year by federal cultural agen- cies and commercial enterprises 43 and its exhibits are due in large measure to the foresightedness, persuasiveness, intellect and vigor of Nancy Hanks." April 19, 1983 The Old Post Office Building at the Nancy Hanks Center is re- dedicated as the new home of the two Endowments, the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, the Institute of Mu- seum Services, and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. May 1 7, 1983 At a White House luncheon orga- nized by the President's Commit- tee on the Arts and the Human- ities, President Reagan honors 12 artists and arts patrons for service to the arts. (See page 52.) The President also asks Frank Hodsoll to explore with Congress the possibility of creating a medal to honor artists and patrons of the arts. July 13-16, The first National Symposium on 1983 Access to Cultural Programs for disabled and older individuals is sponsored by the Endowment at Indiana University in Blooming- ton. Frank Hodsoll addresses the plenary session. Fiscal 1984 Endowment budget is $162 mil- (Oct. 1, 1983- lion. A Five -Year Planning Docu- Sept. 30, 1984) ment (1986-1990) is approved. The Endowment, working with the American Film Institute, helps establish a National Center for Film and Television Preservation. The Locals Test Program, in its first year of operation, distributes 44 $2 million in federal funds, which are to be matched by $97 million in new publicly appropriated state and local funds. Folk Arts Apprenticeships are begun through state arts agencies. The Theater Program begins an Ongo- ing Ensembles category to assist groups of theater artists working together over time. The Dance Program starts a program placing choreographers with repertory dance companies to create new work. A touring-commissioning fund for major interdisciplinary work is begun in the Inter-Arts Program. Frank Hodsoll, commenting on the growth in support for the arts, says: "The American Association of Fundraising Counsel reports that in 1983 private contributions to cultural activities increased to $4.08 billion, an increase of 36 percent and $1 billion over 1981. Individuals continued in 1983 to provide the bulk of this support." Nov. 5, 1983 National Council on the Arts adopts new Mission Statement for the National Endowment for the Arts. The focus is on excellence and access. May 31, 1984 President Reagan signs into law legislation for a National Medal of Arts, authorizing the President to award up to 12 medals a year to "individuals or groups who in the President's judgment are deserv- ing of special recognition by rea- son of their outstanding contribu- tions to the excellence, growth, support and availability of the arts in the United States." The Presi- 45 dent's awards are to be based on recommendations of the National Council on the Arts. Fiscal 1985 The National Endowment for the (Oct. 1, 1984- Arts is 20 years old. Its budget is Sept. 30, 1985 $163,660,000. The Expansion Arts Program starts a Community Foundation Initiative to secure new private funds for smaller arts organizations. The Music Program consolidates and strengthens its support for music presenters na- tionwide. A national jazz service organization is created with En- dowment assistance. Chairman Hodsoll says: "The sole purpose of all of us is to foster excellence, diversity and vitality in the arts, and help broaden the availability and appreciation of them. Our progress — or lack of it — must be measured only in these terms. As we look ahead to the coming years, it is my hope that we will rededicate ourselves to these cru- cial ends." Dec. 11, 1984 Frank Hodsoll announces Charlton Heston's appointment as Chairman of the Arts Endow- ment's 20th Anniversary Commit- tee, set up to focus attention on the growth of the public-private partnership support for the arts since the Endowment's birth in 1965. Jan. 16, 1985 The First Lady, Nancy Reagan, agrees to serve as Honorary Chair- man of the 20th Anniversary Committee, which includes lead- ing artists and arts patrons who have served as members of the National Council on the Arts. (See page 53) 46 Jan. 30, 1985 President Reagan presents the first Presidential Awards for De- sign Excellence to 13 federal projects in a variety of design areas. The President states: "I believe it is fair to say that good design unites art with pur- pose, and is an essential part of all that goes to make our nation without peer." March 25, 1985 During the Academy Awards presentations, the National En- dowment for the Arts receives a special "Oscar" for its 20-year ser- vice to the arts: "... and its dedicated commit- ment to fostering artistic and cre- ative activity and excellence in every area of human genius — dance, literature, theater, music, visual arts, the media, opera, de- sign and the national heritage as represented by our folk arts." April 23, 1985 First National Medals of Arts awarded to seven artists and five patrons of the arts at a White House luncheon. (See page 53.) May 2 and June 19, 1985 Endowment reauthorization hear- ings held before the House (May 2) and Senate (June 19) sub- committees. Chairman Hodsoll testifies on the recent substantial growth in private, state and local support for the arts, and notes that: "As the traditional boundaries distinguishing the disciplines . . . are redefined, we will need to adapt Endowment activities ac- cordingly Further, there are great 47 artistic and audience differences among the states and regions, and the Endowment must respond in different areas in different ways. "Arts education provides us with a special challenge ... to seek comprehensive and sequential arts education as a basic element of the curriculum . . . Probably nothing that the Endowment could do would be of greater im- portance than to help effect a general increase in artistic literacy and appreciation." Aug. 3, 1985 The National Council on the Arts reviews concept paper on arts education, which proposes broad- ening the scope of the Artists in Education Program. The primary objective of the proposed change is to encourage art in education as a basic part of the curriculum, kindergarten through high school. Sept. 22, 1985 During its annual "Emmy" Awards program, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences recognizes the Arts En- dowment on its 20th Anniversary. Sept. 23-29, President Reagan recognizes Na- 1985 tional Arts Week to celebrate all the arts on the occasion of the Endowment's 20th Anniversary. Sept. 27, 1985 President Reagan announces his intention to nominate Frank Hodsoll for a second term as Chairman of the Arts Endowment. 48 On September 29, 1985, the Na- tional Endowment for the Arts celebrated its 20th birthday. It had been founded to encourage and support national progress in the arts based on Congress' find- ing that "a high civilization must not limit its efforts to science and technology alone but must give full value and support to the other great branches of man's scholarly and cultural ac- tivity in order to achieve a better understanding of the past, a bet- ter analysis of the present, and a better view of the future." The Endowment has tried to help in this — by encouraging and sup- porting artistic excellence and helping bring that excellence to more Americans. The purpose was and is: to help continue and expand our "high civilization." President Reagan quotes Henry James: "It is art that makes life, makes interest, makes impor- tance ... I know of no substi- tute whatever for the force and beauty of its process." 49 ORIGINAL MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON THE ARTS (Sworn in by President Johnson on April 9, 1965) Roger L. Stevens, Chairman Elizabeth Ashley Leonard Bernstein Anthony Bliss David Brinkley Albert Bush-Brown Agnes de Mille Rene d'Harnoncourt* Ralph Ellison Paul Engle R. Philip Hanes, Jr. Rev. Gilbert Hartke, OP. Eleanor Lambert Warner Lawson* Gregory Peck William L. Pereira Richard Rodgers* David Smith* Oliver Smith Isaac Stern George Stevens, Sr* James Johnson Sweeney Otto Wittmann Minoru Yamasaki Stanley Young* Deceased PRESIDENTIAL TASK FORCE ON THE ARTS AND THE HUMANITIES (Appointed by President Reagan on June 5, 1981) Charlton Heston, Co-Chairman for the Arts Hanna H. Gray, Co-Chairman for the Humanities Daniel J. Terra, Co-Chairman for the Government W Barnabas McHenry, Vice-Chairman Margo Albert* Edward Banfield Anne Bass Daniel J. Boorstin William G. Bowen Joseph Coors Armand S. Deutsch Virginia Duncan Robert Fryer Henry Geldzahler Gordon Hanes Nancy Hanks* Paul Hanna Ernest J. Kump June Noble Larkin Robert M. Lumiansky Angus MacDonald Nancy Mehta Arthur Mitchell Franklin D. Murphy David Packard Edmund P. Pillsbury George C. Roche III Richard Mellon Scaife Franklin J. Schaffner Beverly Sills Leonard L. Silverstein Robert I. Smith Roger L. Stevens John E. Swearingen Rawleigh Warner, Jr. Lucien Wulsin Deceased 51 PRESIDENT'S COMMITTEE ON THE ARTS AND THE HUMANITIES (As of September 1985) Andrew Heiskell, Chairman Armand S. Deutsch, Co-Vice Chairman W. Barnabas McHenry, Co-Vice Chairman Frank Hodsoll Executive Committee Executive Committee Executive Committee Executive Committee Robert McC. Adams Caroline Leonetti Ahmanson James A. Baker, III David William Belin Terrell H. Bell* William J. Bennett Daniel J. Boorstin Sidney F. Brody* * J. Carter Brown Gerald P. Carmen* Schuyler G. Chapin William P. Clark* Lloyd E. Cotsen Charles A. Dana, Jr. Susan L. Davis Joan Kent Dillon Stanley M. Frehling Robert Fryer* Terence C. Golden Nancy Hanks* * Donald Hodel Ignacio E. Lozano, Jr.* Karen Munro Gabriele Murdock** Franklin D. Murphy Susan E. Phillips* Donald T Regan* Arthur Schultz S. Dillon Ripley* Leonard L. Silverstein Francis Albert Sinatra Frank Stanton Roger L. Stevens Donald M. Stewart Lloyd M. Taggart Daniel J. Terra Lilla Tower* Rawleigh Warner, Jr. James G. Watt* Charles Z. Wick Isabel Brown Wilson * Former Member ** Deceased RECIPIENTS OF PRESIDENTIAL AWARDS FOR SERVICE TO THE ARTS (Awards presented by President Reagan on May 17, 1983) Cleveland Foundation Dayton Hudson Foundation Philip Johnson Elma Lewis James Michener Czeslaw Milosz Philip Morris, Inc. Frank Stella Texaco Philanthropic Foundation Luis Valdez Frederica Von Stade Pinchas Zukerman 52 NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS 20TH ANNIVERSARY COMMITTEE Nancy Reagan, Honorary Chairman Charlton Heston, Chairman Marian Anderson Livingston L. Biddle, Jr. Anthony Bliss Albert Bush -Brown Henry J. Cauthen Van Cliburn Kenneth Dayton Agnes de Mille Richard C. Diebenkorn Clint Eastwood Martin Friedman Lawrence Halprin Helen Hayes Richard Hunt James Earl Jones Eleanor Lambert Gregory Peck William L. Pereira Harold Prince Jerome Robbins Rudolf Serkin Beverly Sills Isaac Stem Roger L. Stevens Billy Taylor Edward Villella Eudora Welty Dolores Wharton Robert Wise Jessie A. Woods James Wyeth NATIONAL MEDAL OF ARTS AWARDEES (Medals given by President Reagan on April 23, 1985) Elliott Cook Carter, Jr. Dorothy Buffum Chandler Ralph Ellison Jose Vicente Ferrer Martha Graham Hallmark Cards Lincoln Kirstein Paul Mellon Louise Nevelson Georgia O'Keeffe Leontyne Price Alice Tully 53 CURRENT MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON THE ARTS (As of September 1985) Frank Hodsoll, Chairman Kurt Herbert Adler Samuel Lipman Norman B. Champ, Jr. Talbot MacCarthy C. Douglas Dillon Toni Morrison Allen Drury Carlos Moseley Joseph Epstein Jacob Neusner Helen Frankenthaler I. M. Pei Martha Graham Lloyd Richards Margaret Hillis Lida Rogers Celeste Holm George Schaefer Arthur I. Jacobs Robert Stack Robert Joffrey William L. Van Alen M. Ray Kingston James Wood Raymond Learsy 54 FORMER MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON THE ARTS (1965-1985) Maurice Abravanel Margo Albert* Marian Anderson Martina Arroyo Elizabeth Ashley James Barnett Thomas Bergin Robert Berks Leonard Bernstein Theodore Bikel Anthony Bliss Angus Bowmer* Willard Boyd David Brinkley Richard F. Brown* Albert Bush-Brown Henry J. Cauthen Van Cliburn Jean Dalrymple Hal C. Davis* Kenneth Dayton Agnes de Mille Rene d'Harnoncourt* J. C. Dickinson, Jr. Richard C. Diebenkorn Charles Eames* Clint Eastwood William Eells Duke Ellington* Ralph Ellison Paul Engle Leonard L. Farber O'Neil Ford* Martin Friedman Virginia B. Gerity* Sandra Hale Lawrence Halprin R. Philip Hanes, Jr. Huntington Hartford Rev. Gilbert Hartke, O.P. Helen Hayes Charlton Heston Richard Hunt Judith Jamison Ruth Carter Johnson James Earl Jones Herman David Kenin* Eleanor Lambert Jacob Lawrence Warner Lawson* Harper Lee Erich Leinsdorf Bernard Lopez * Deceased Jimilu Mason Charles McWhorter Robert Merrill Gregory Peck William L. Pereira Sidney Poitier Harold Prince Jerome Robbins James D. Robertson* Richard Rodgers* Maureene Rogers James Rosenquist Rosalind Russell* Franklin Schaffner Thomas Schippers* Gunther Schuller Rudolf Serkin George Seybolt Robert Shaw Beverly Sills David Smith* Oliver Smith John Steinbeck* Isaac Stern George Stevens, Sr.* Geraldine Stutz James Johnson Sweeney Billy Taylor Edward Villella E. Leland Webber Harry Weese Donald Weismann Eudora Welty Dolores Wharton Nancy White Anne Potter Wilson Robert Wise Otto Wittmann Jessie Woods James Wyeth Rosalind W Wyman Minoru Yamasaki Stanley Young* Chairmen Roger L. Stevens Nancy Hanks* Livingston L. Biddle, Jr. 55 U 3 <<■< .2 • ST 3 3