Creativity and achievement in the realm of ideas May well be the marks by which our future progress is a society will be surveyed. Advancements in science and technology will surely continue but we will be known and measured as a nation by how well we understand ourselves as a society of free men and women what values we seek to preserve what you missed the goals we set for ourselves. Oh, yeah. Hope that together. We can see the day coming and I think we are approaching it when Americans will feel as much pride and some of our intellectual achievements for I believe they are there and many and many just now boarding as we have felt it in the lifetimes of many of us and Mariner 2 and the achievements of caumsett and the building of the Verrazano Bridge and other technological achievements. That's Joseph Duffy soon to be sworn in as the new chairperson of the National Endowment for the Humanities. He comes to the endowment at a critical time since its Creation in 1965. The largely academic oriented funding agency has had to play a backstage roll to the more glamorous Endowment for the Arts and all the while the amenities programs on both the national and state levels have been grooming themselves for a more visible role in America. Just how bold apart is taken has been a debate among Humanities officials many of the programs are rooted in Academia. Ivory Towers that often seem impenetrable to the average person the endowment itself has been accused by some lawmakers and others as a Bastion of elitism run by academics who don't care to communicate with the untenured there for Joseph Duffy a minister and urban studies specialist and currently assistant Secretary of State for education and cultural Affairs marks a major change in administration while he has the scholarly credentials. He also has political connections something that's cos academic eyebrows to be raised. He came to the national meeting of the state programs in the humanities facing the local component of his Organization for the first time and if he expressed his enthusiasm for that component to ensure that the humanities are brought into the lives of all Americans as the patron of the humanities, but as a participant in a great National conversation, about These matters I don't regard the humanities as a territory. I think we begin with those disciplines that are mentioned in our legislation that we are in fact talking about a dimension of learning of knowledge approach and understanding. a cuts across all human endeavor I have on my desk and Washington a couple of letters from people who suggested that the great Peril of the humanities is that we might have banned in certain regions of the country and certain large Urban centers and become preoccupied with a provincialism that prevails But I haven't been persuaded by those letters. I think in fact the kind of activity that the state committees Foster not only is enriched for the very diversity and pluralism and regionalism of this country but time and again has absolutely tremendous National significance. I do not think that any time in my experience at least has the society been as open to What is the dimension of the humanities represents? I think that are there server? This is a rather Grim joke that the commencement speakers off until the Pilot says to the passengers. The bad news is we're lost in the good news is we're ahead of schedule. And it's sensitive. I think that troubling suggestion of that the bit of grim humor has come across two to this nation as we have matured perhaps it's one of the solid achievements left by the of the sort of bustling and and and disruptive the counterculture movement of the Youth of a few years ago, but there is an openness and I think the best days of the kind of work that we hope to do our are really ahead of us. Conversations with members of the Congress at this point at least it led me to appreciate the expectations that they have both for the endowment and for the state programs. They look to the programs for leadership in the area of the of the humanities from what I have learned of your work and what my I learn and sense about my new colleagues at the endowment. I am persuaded. That's what they hope for we can hope for and it can be achieved. Congress has a well to well-defined but closely related objectives in supporting the humanities to promote excellence and achievement and to seek to make opportunities for learning and inside and activities in the humanities available to an ever-widening circle of the public and if I understand the history of State programs, these are goals that all of you share. I assume my responsibilities as chairman on this assumption that without your efforts and our partnership the full Mandate of the Congress in this area cannot be carried out. The wraps it will be useful. If I say a word about my understanding of that Partnership of purpose that informs our Collective efforts in this important work and serves to define the programs in the activities at the state and the national level. The conservation in the development of resources in the humanities and the sharing of these with the general public is too large and too important to tasks to invest with anyone agency or office particularly in a society, which has the the values in the concern in this area is that ours is always had that the hand of government always be deaf to never heavy. That's why the Congress first Purge the development of State programs. And that's why we have language that ensures in the legislation to voice and a role for the citizens of each state the authorizing Committees of salt in the new legislation to invite the involvement of state governments in furthering access to the humanities for teachers and Scholars and students and citizens alike. Those congressional election Davis are ones. I support for they acknowledge that the federal government cannot and should not play the determining role in defining the place of the humanities. I am not hesitant and I will not be hesitant in urging upon my friends and state the capitals and in the offices of Governors that it is wise for government every level to acknowledge the importance to the society and to his future of the these concerns. I was reading the other day that the marvelous statement that Franklin Roosevelt made at the time of the WPA when there was some question as to whether the Rhode Island School of Design, I think that was the institution involving and indeed a artist in general. We're going to be included And the WPA act and then a very eloquent Way Franklin Roosevelt talked about the the contribution to a society of Scholars and and and those who work on creating frontiers of the mind and the spirit and I think that it is the sign of a society come of age at this is recognized as activity that the government should acknowledge. I think there are tremendous problems in forging the kind of policies that protect the initiative and the creativity and the Integrity of the scholar and the artist but the acknowledgement that this is an area worthy of our attention is one that I have no hesitation in being an advocate for what forms the partnership should take between state and federal government as a matter for continuing examination. I will seek your counsel and your advice in the months ahead. I hope to meet with institutional and governmental Representatives who have an interest in the humanities and it concerned for their continuing support to exceed their advice and Counsel on many fronts. But I begin with this assumption the Quest for humanistic understanding takes on diverse meaning and purpose in various parts of the country and in various X background and experiences. We will continue at the national level to mount programs in the areas of research and teaching and public Outreach programs with see-through address of broad set of priorities in as reasonable as it's reasonable and we will look at the states for activities which compliment that effort and reflect the special cancer regional and local interest. Careful coordination of our Collective Endeavors will be necessary. If we are to do the best job possible with limited resources. I pledge to you the full cooperation of the endowment to the look forward to working with the states and mapping a coherent strategy that meets our common objectives. I will not be shy about making a case for the Humanities neither will I be reticent to to encourage the use of both private as well as public Monies to sustain serious work in the humanities and to increase public access to the fruits of that learning. It is not my intention to become the spokesman for the Humanities rather. I would hope my voice with yours will be one of many testimonials that what I say to the Congress and others will serve to support the conversations that occur elsewhere at the community in the state levels following explain how to make academic studies more relevant. Let me say that I think we never been conscious of our cultural heritage. In fact, it's we have a broader cultural heritage than Europe. It's not the it's we made a mistake in this country in the early days of immigration perhaps it was a social necessity of trying to bring everybody under one cultural tradition, which is a sort of northern European tradition because we've had a certain anxiety about the need for social cohesion. Now that we've matured a little more we've begun to realize that we can celebrate our diversity that people in in fact one of the keys to our understanding of our own personhood is unlocking of our Passover becoming I think much more relaxed about the fact that not only is a society of diverse country. But and end with was very rich Heritage, but that We can open our sales and apprehend values of other cultures in the East for example, which we now appreciate and learning to appreciate. We I think that's that in recent years there the academic Community bear some responsibility, obviously for the sense that somehow all the things that are associated with academic let certain dryness but I have a feeling that that's more a myth of the commentators then what they want people actually feel across the country. Men lose interest in education some of that some some people occasionally take a very shaded point of you and suggest that the country is somehow has a strong anti-intellectual bias. But many of the most important centers of learning in the world are now in this country that's only happen. If we don't quite realize it we have and I suppose they we're drifting towards a time when the average age of a student that are colleges and universities and community colleges across the country is getting higher every year half. Our students are now part-time students many people are going to school not simply for the kind of learning that you're later to their job app for learning. They can relate specifically to the quality of their life for the enjoyment of their of life itself. So I think there isn't that what is happening in this country and what we sort of not quite it may be in almost a can of an awkwardness yet acknowledge. There's a tremendous Renaissance of interest in in in the NL. 10 mm in our own culture. It's been put down by those who think that culture can only be defined in certain high and rather narrow terms and that's a nervous thing to look out and see a society in which they're just people are discover want to know about the history of their region and and and and the people from whom they came but I think that's like that's happening at the National Endowment can encourage you to hopefully can acknowledge with me half of the government that it's that it's an important thing. We're no longer. I suppose even per capita the richest country in the world. We used to know who are who we are there other countries that rivalus in power electronic components of steel mills were other countries rivalus, but we are not used to Turning toward the rest of the world of the face of this country, which I think is more sensitive than were created. Some of the great Symphonies of the world are now in America because there's some spectacular Opera in Santa Fe and Indianapolis in Seattle as I say great centers of learning all across the country is no longer a reagent and I think we have to feel a little more comfortable on and then I would hope that the National Endowment could help engender some pride and these achievements because I think we will be Better and richer alive for the Richer if we acknowledge that part of our existence and its importance. You talked of the importance of the pluralism in our society that used to be rooted in ethnicity because we are composed of a nation of other nations relief. How and people have discovered that sense along with a sense of regionalism is a form of identity. I think at the same time, there's a need to affirm that but also to reach out to others that are different to enjoy that parallelism. How do you see that taking them about? How do you see that happening? That is the the bridging between the different color roses. There is a the danger of us having our pride and whatever we are and not really understanding and enjoying that richness and celebrating that diversion see a danger in a kind of balkanization. I don't I think that that we are maybe at the crest of a time when we are celebrating our differences in the reason we're celebrating others that we didn't hide them for so long and they were denied and the people who died I grew up as a hillbilly and one lesson I learned unconsciously was to be ashamed of where I came from it took me awhile to learn that that was a rich tradition in Heritage of the people who settled in the mouth and that I could understand it and come to terms with it. I think preps black people tall. Does that person want to be proud of his own route, but I think the next stage and I think we're being there is a sense of what all this weeds into if we are free from the hand that suggested we all have to be a lie, or that suggested that there was a lot that accept that there was a sort of a model which we had to Aspire that might not be the natural one. Then we are free. I think the fashion a new sense of what we are as a nation is people and as I said people feel Freer with the styles of Lies their approach their vacated their vocation their life's them in the whole lifestyle in terms of how many people now don't want to follow the corporation every place. They are raising a family in one place, maybe more important in the corporations come to terms with that brother all those new things represent. I think the fashioning out of these parts of this rediscovery of Something New by way of a of a national identity, which is finally I suppose back and only if if a collection of individuals Innocence is the phrase goes get themselves together come to a sense of who they are so weird. We are rediscovering ourselves as a nation and that's more important especially after the trauma Vietnam and Watergate when certain myths about ourselves are invincibility, maybe even our Purity have been challenged and even our exceptional quality in the among the Night World of Nations. We're both humbled and let Chase and but I think fashioning some new understandings. Get down to brass tacks about funding you're competing with the National Endowment for the Arts. You're competing with scientific and technological forces. How at this point, do you do you get that kind of fun day with such competition? Kroger Nashville down for the Humanities and the Arts of both the both receive the same allotment from the Congress and it's growing exponentially in the last 12 years and it smells for Beach of the lease endowments. I'll be up around 1515 billion dollars a year cannot grow much more than that. I think committed the resources are going to be scarce. We will receive the Attention from the Congress and support as long as we can State our case and as long as we demonstrate I think the particulate this Administration that we are we are doing valuable work. That's that's appreciated by By the people we should we try to relate to and I'm quite willing to accept. Those are that's the way to put it Go process works. If I think that there's a certain healthy Dynamic society and what you have to continue to be accountable in the state your case. Now we are at someone have a national columnist said the other day. We're trying to fund the invisible. I mean, we're not building it defense plants and feels and even subsidizing Economic Development were trying to subsidize the development of a kind of learning a kind of knowledge. But that has been tremendously neglected by our society and I think we're now beginning to realize we only spend today at the federal government is a small part of the commitment we spend about who I suppose one half of 1% in humanistic learning and knowledge of what we spend in the science for development of Science and Technology. I think that there's a pretty broad acceptance among people of all political Persuasions at this is this is important work and and will continue to to need support but will try to be as persuasive as we can. You have a tradition of Defending academic freedom and also political expertise. Do you find a I suppose it grabs? Both those qualities will be important in your position. Chairman of the National Endowment that is with government funding and with Congress the there are various kinds of political small Pierre Capital, please pressure that is brought to bear and yet they the tradition of the The Scholar is total academic freedom. How do you see resolving that kind of conflict if you sometimes approximately I forget what is single out two projects would have been funded is holding them up for ridicule sooner proxmire is raising the question of her social responsibility. There is such a question is active academic responsibilities. I think that I could to make freedom is not we can we ask those of us who pursue scholarly work for privileges from society to have academic freedom in return as a profession or within our own discipline. So I think The liveliness of artwork is only preserved if we have some sense of the responsibilities are involved in having those privileges. The National Endowment for the Humanities again. I think this is one part of it. That's not very well understood he is. Has a number of guarantees they've been nothing is perfect as a system. But I say of people sometimes you bring to me very exciting projects and and and there are many of them that to fortunately the endowment is protected from my enthusiasm. I hope it heals to the grants are given on the basis of a very thorough probably the most thorough review and consultation with specialist in the field several levels of review. And then I have a National Council of people appointed by the president confirmed by the Senate who not don't change with anyone Administration there there they have six year terms are three classes and they consider these granted and they make recommendations to the chairman so that the process is one that I think has never had a major Scandal and I never I just have a lot of thinking turn over the accusation of political pressure or intimidation. We always have to be concerned about that because it's the one of the critical problems in this area. And and I hope to that I can remain sensitive to it. I hope I at my friends were pointed out to me if I if my hand slips, but I think we have we have the right system. I think we have a system in which we are grants are highly competitive and our judgments are made not I don't make those judgments that I may I can sit in pussy so I can set fraud policy. But those judgments are made by people of your skill than an extra expertise in a particular field of the Endeavor level of federal support. One of those Congressional Advocates is Minnesota's Albert quits in a speech to local officials. We had some ideas as a friend of the amenities as an unreserved friend of federal support for the Humanities. In fact, I was quite skeptical when the 1965 Act was first discussed as an idea. I was convinced that. It was a bit dangerous for the federal government to play to close a role in the Arts and Humanities and I was really concerned about the possibility of government domination directions or even censorship. Based on the federal government's now experienced in this area. I say that I am now an unreserved friend of federal support. It was really based on the federal government's experience some other areas that I was fearful of us moving after this direction, but during that time I definitely was not anti Artur anti Humanities. I recalled prior to the endowment setting up going to the council and learning societies and hearing Barnaby Keeney talking to the group and saying at Lennon the beginning of 1960s that what this country needed was a Revival. He said he didn't expect the church has to provide that Revival. He thought it ought to come and would be coming from the institutions of higher education and their development of the humanities. And I was running to how the federal government could play its role. Well, then I thought that the federal government could do Best Buy reading a healthy environment. And so that privately the Arts and Humanities could be supported and then flourishes independently as possible. I'm now convinced that the humanities are so important to the future of our society that we need to also contribute in a system in the federal level and it can be done in a way that no way provides runny domination direction or censorship and because of the independence in which the indominus has operated and the state council's have developed that I have now the storm support for what you're doing. Through the years now, I believe that many on the national level have become more and more aware of the relevancy of the Arts and Humanities to the quality of American life. And while it has been a great amount in comparison to what the federal government is spent in other areas that were the federal government has been in the two endowments has gone a long ways and touching many lives for the better. the fact that we have a federal program the arts and humanities has to require the Congress and the executive branch of the government to focus from time to time on those deeper dimensions of our cultural heritage the National Life. public officials now as compared to 20 years ago when I came there, I believe are more and more realizing that it is not just the defense Hardware that we need to purchase order the concrete highways to spread across the nation are the Public Works programs of the biological research and development that are the most important but the more and more people are coming to realize that the individual sense of the quality was on life is more of the realm but what they learn on develop the ideas and their beliefs and their values understanding about themselves and their fellow human beings. some individuals in our society are gifted with the ability to help others gain this understanding and learn from the thoughts and the ideas and actions of those who came before them or living at their time and I think of the late EF Schumacher who wrote small is beautiful. And I believe he's had a tremendous impact on the number of my colleagues wives to the extent that there's a group now that calls together their colleagues at periods of time to look into is it called a focus on the future and see which way our way we're going to go and the government I believe ought to support those individuals and groups who can contribute and this way to the National spirit and pride. As the 1965 act has been evaluated amended. I've advocated expanded programs and increase funding but I've insisted that the growth in each and Diamond be equal. And as russet indicated that the Congress needed a strong spokesman an hour to make certain of that because some people infect Centre d'appel talked about that way that the humanities we're much more accepted 1965 and where needed to bring the Arts up into recognition acceptance. And now they've accomplished their person. They're their purpose and the Arts how to move on ahead and secure the larger sum of money. The Arts are more visible and seem to touch more people directly. But I felt in my heart that the potential contribution of the humanities could be much more significant significant yet experienced knife did feel that we in the Congress off to make certain of that. We didn't have the Solomon like wisdom and capability to pick and choose between these two groups determine which could give more to our society has its own unique contribution and that's why I fought hard to keep you authorization and they preparations for each of them identical. Having said that you might say well then when I come to contradicting myself when the legislation was considered last year and fighting so hard to keep the structure of the state Humanities councils different from that of the Arts. Council's While I was strongly in favor of guaranteeing the level of funding for each of the state Humanities Council similar to that which is in the state Arts programs. I resisted the efforts to send it to make the state consoles accountable to elected political authorities along the lines of state-of-the-art councils were in the I believe that what we did compromise on and accept the two people who would be appointed by the governor is acceptable because it was less than the majority and it helps a transition into that in a way that can be done carefully without any partisan political domination of of the council's I felt the selection of members of State Humanities council's should not become a province of a political officials as sensitive as the Arts maybe two political domination and we've been careful to guard against has the humanities Community need to do to reach the Congress. Huh? What I responded many times is that you need a Nancy Hanks and no way suggesting that Joe Duffy should be replaced by Nancy now quite the contrary Joe is more than capable of doing an outstanding job what I mean when I say that says that Eunice Nancy Hanks have a spirit and a Vigor and a single-mindedness with what she advocated and literally sold the Arts to the Congress and we need a person and people to do that. Most people is at Nancy didn't do it all on get a lot of support from the Arts communities around the country in a very real sense. Her job is much easier than Joe Duffy's are yours because the Arts are more visible the Arts appear to be more popular. Yes communities continually promoting itself and its products. So if I have any message for you today, it said you do have a good product and you must make the manatees more visible and that we must find more Avenues of public and private Corporation and bringing a higher quality of life to society through the humanities. Not much legislation of direct relevance to you as pending right at this time. Just last week John Brad Ausmus. Boom. I want to say to you. I have a tremendous high regard and he's been enough for front promoting both of the endowments and working on the humanities and never at any time has made a suggestion that one have an advantage over the other and so you have a tremendous leader for the Humanities and jump, right? But in many of the rest of us have joined together now and introducing legislation calling for a White House conference on the Arts 1979. And the conference will be designed to focus on the major issues of the Arts in the United States. Even though Nancy Hanks is no longer chairman of the national diamond on the Arts. Thanks spirit continues to move in. The White House conference legislation is a reflection of it because I believe in the importance of humanities. I insisted that before I co-sponsored legislation calling for the White House conference on the Arts the congressman vitamins and others would agree that there should also be a bill calling for a White House conference on that companion bill will be introduced in the next week or so my hope that through your continued efforts in the visibility. That would be better understood by more people in America and by the Congress itself. The White House conference about how successful can do the whole job by itself much of what needs to be done is up to the folks like you and I would welcome your thought and reflection on three areas that I believe are hindrances at the present time in first is the definition of the humanities. How hard are the people going to understand it weigh who is a difference between the Arts and Humanities a 1965 act the definition of the humanities was quite a laundry list of academic disciplines and starts out with a Humanities includes but is not limited to the study of the following and then there is a list of language literature linguistic history philosophy comparative religion ethics and photography. What is a somewhat limited to Fosston to writing and I kind of Tatian of study rather than Behavior. But the art has no narrow limitation and includes all types of activities divisible colorful three-dimensional moving loud emotion provoking every way more attention getting the study of this so that the other thing and so there is a problem. So what I would welcome any of you would be willing to send me a one-page letter attempting to describe the humanities in distinguishing them. Or as different from the arts for example know what category of poetry to fit hand. Copper helps you feel as though an effort to distinguish between the two is an effort that would slow down rather than speed up our appreciation of the humanities, whatever the case. I know that I am ending. My colleagues would welcome a learning view about this question. All the second and related issue is a need to apply the humanities to the Contemporary life cuz I referring to here in the last portion of the definition of humanities now reads in the study and application of the humanities to the human environment with particular attention to the relevance of the humanities through the current conditions of natural light really since that came out as an amendment. I believe in 1970s really a cry of the Congress to you to give us Similar to Dollars on this how he could relate the study of the past and study was happening out to what we're faced with and try to make decisions in our national life. We are in the Congress. Have looked at Scholars as being willing and able to receive federal funds to do what might be called basic research and I and I am concerned that people in public life tend to want to find only projects that are oriented to a solution of a problem rather than the basic research and I recognized that so much of what we've learned really comes out of basic research rather than knowing exactly the goals were going to achieve from that but there's a feeling in the Congress that there just aren't enough capable individuals who can translate and apply the basic scholarship to the Contemporary problems such as the environment human relations and ethical questions related to the application of our Scientific Technology. And that's why Margaret Mead is so popular in the Congress and y e f Schumacher has be coming in this last year of his life really to the Congress. And the recognition though by the Congress and the people is country that we aren't going to solve our problems with more scientific knowledge and new technology. When a congress want advances as part of humanities will be greatly assisted if you and your colleagues could give examples for the introduction of ideas and thoughts when Humanity's have shed light on and even influence decisions in government and business and the professions. I'm sure there are many such examples and somehow they do not appear as readily as a contribution to the Arts. To us. And then there's another dimension did the advance of humanities in our society have been asked what they wanted in their public leaders. They have put number one is moral Integrity more than knowledge more than courage. Another recent poll Harris poll indicated that 76% of the American people felt they would and they ought to receive their satisfaction from other than material things. So there is a hunger that exist throughout our society. I happen to be alive and active layman in the Lutheran Church and one who takes his face seriously run into a conflict that many people have between what we call the judeo-christian heritage in ethic in the humanities. And we did him in the act in order that the manatees the endowment could delve into it but seems to me some people to be a conflict. As I read the definition of the humanities take from Random House dictionary goes it any system or mode of thought or action which in which human interest values and dignity predominate and I don't find in that then a conflict between the views of my Christian friends. And what is attempting to be studied in him out of this believe that when you look at the Ford definition of humanist. The first one is a student of human nature or affairs. Are the second one a person having a strong interest in our concern for human welfare values and dignity. There is no conflict there their definition a person devoted to unversed in the humanities rather just accepted at the third as a classical scholar and that's where I truly disqualify myself. But we do need the studies. And the understanding that you can bring to us and I believe in those three areas. That's where the Congress needs help and where you can help us the most South Dakota's committee on the amount of these would agree with most of all queens comments. In fact, they've been taken to Heart long ago his State boasts, one of the most active agendas of projects in the nation South Dakota's Humanities program is in an operation five years. This is our sixth and we've grown from some Grand of 125000 to a grant of $530,000 and and with gifts and matching and so on will be conducting a program of $670,000 during the 18 months. That is just beginning. What was the focus? Is there a focus to the program focuses to bring the humanities to the adult public in the state and Of course. We have been restricted in guidelines to dealing with the adult public and dialogue with the humanist on matters of public policy and that has been very narrow, but obviously because we've grown by nearly 400% It hasn't been too narrow to restrict that growth. However, are you looking for a broadening and the Congress last October gave the states the authority to broaden their guidelines and to do more things. So our committee is going to look to other Publix rather than just the adult public and it's going to look the other formats than just dialogue with the humanist. We'll hope for perhaps some research or publication efforts and so on that will complement what we're doing What city are the guidelines what what are some of the specific programs now operating in South Dakota? Golf Course for restricted right now as to the policy issue focus and so on and and we're finding that course we go to the adult public and ask them to design their own program and we provide a half the funding then for their local programming. I would say that we're finding much more interest again in South Dakota and Local educational issues especially the financing of Education we are just property tax as far as support of local education. That's a big issue. We're having a number of programs again surface in the problems of the elderly in the senior citizen because of the high percentage of senior citizens in South Dakota water resources are always an important issue in South Dakota specially after a drought a year ago this last summer And our program has always had a number of global programs on each of the reservations. It's real difficult to. To find anyone area there, but this past year we've had about a dozen programs on the issues of jurisdiction. And that's who will govern on the reservations to State or the tribe. And and of course that issue berries from each reservation to eat reservation and total programs again here locally Taylor. Mr. Duffy voice the problem of trying to get out to the public and explain exactly what the amenities consists of them. Did you find initially it was very difficult to try to explain to the South Dakota resident exactly. What you're about group of adults citizens to plan a Humanities program is that you define the humanities and then if there are two humanist present the real Mitchell Define the humanities from differently and say and so on but it was not easy for any University to Define it they already fine and Humanities differently and it wasn't easy for the Congress. And do you manage very broad area of study but we Define the humanities now any number of thousands of times for small groups in the state and I think they are showing that they can work very easily with the scholars in the humanities. Better understanding local policy issues with the Arts segment at all. No, we haven't had any such class at all. Our program is just so very totally different from the program that the Arts people Mount that we thought perhaps we could complement one another a little and we find the we've only been able to work together on a few different things and some programs on the reservations are a good example of where we've been able to work together because an art program dealing with dance music so on fits very nicely with the public program, but there's been no no competition whatsoever because of the diverse nature and perhaps when our guidelines brought in a little bit will begin to overlap somewhat more and find it less easy to clarify whether something is a arts and never or Humanities Endeavour a number of states particularly in the midwest seem to show Whelan's point of view including Minnesota is complimenting them not competing with them that isn't true in every state they do compete because they feel the Arts feel that there is such a demand for their product but they should have all of all of the federal dollars for arts and humanities in Minnesota. We're finding that we can do lots of projects with the art for instance are the Guthrie Theater will do their plays and we will give them money to have discussions after the place. Now I said who's going to hang around after 3 hour play and talk about it and you go to one of these discussions in their 200 to 600 people were sitting there anxious to talk about what they've seen and anxious to talk about it. Not only with the actor. But with people who are knowledgeable about drama about history about ethics and all of those various disciplines. So we in Minnesota. We have a very good relationship with the with the with the Arts and we find that there is plenty of interest for both of us. I think some people need manatees are paranoid and think I see we have to avoid the entire Lake we've got to do our own thing, but I say that we've got to work together because that's where we're going to reach the most people Lynn Smith in 1971. She will step down as its executive director this month to take a position at the national level. I asked her for an assessment of the commission's growth which now includes projects such as immigration and women's history over a. Of 6 years, the the money has gone from about a hundred thousand to a half a million. It's grown tremendously the number Project naturally with that have grown each year. I think the thing that's most exciting to look back on are the types of groups that receive grants that don't normally receive grants Civic organizations. Local labor groups not just colleges but libraries museums historical society's League of Women Voters chapters, a farmers organization. Those sorts of groups have received grants anywhere from $500 to $10,000 to do public Humanities programs. And it's very exciting. When you see a group of 80 Farmers Gathering Madison, Minnesota to talk about world history, and I think that's what I think is most rewarding that it hasn't gone to Minnesota's academic institutions necessarily but to community groups, is that a situation that is more the exception than the rule with General. Programming by state Humanities organization was to see if they couldn't initiate Humanities programs with public organization. So that's what we've all been spending. Our time doing is is traveling around talking to groups telling them what the humanities are what kinds of programs their group could do. We've essentially been developing the grant applications ourselves. It's probably one of the few funding sources where they come to you and say this is what our money is for and will help you get it and we help them write the application. The board is very encouraging and says we want the fun groups like this, even if the application isn't quite right that work with them to develop the program so I can be funded and virtually every state committee. Does this they're there to get the money to the group? And that's what we spend. All of our time doing is making sure that everybody has a fair crack at the Dollar Store. Have you run up against some resentment on the part of academic institutions that perhaps some of the money is being spent on less than totally starlily Pursuit. It depends on the situation of the campus many of the colleges realized that if they don't start doing more programs in the community promoting their institution to the public they're in real trouble. There are colleges in Minnesota that are very excited about the fact that there is money to help them do off campus programs. They're getting tremendous PR from doing Pratt Community programs in the humanities are there colleges are quite yet convinced that they have to do that sort of thing. They're very comfortable just catering to the 18 to 21 year old student and are not moving in. Community Education to any great extent and but I think each year there more colleges that participate because they realize they've got to make their campuses more accessible to the public and get their faculty out into the community and the region in order to get students and get people who support the fact that they should get more money from the legislature and continue to exist at the level. They do Smith like many of the other state officials acknowledged is some concern with regionalism and also understands. They academics concern about popularization of the amount of we kind of doubt with that about 4 years ago when we were talking about whether or not we were trying to popularize the humanities in Minnesota. I don't know if that's such a good choice of of words, LOL. I'm not put off by it. I think what we're saying is making him and he's more accessible not necessarily more popular I think too often the Colleges near academics have felt like they'd be Humanity's belong to them in order to get at them. You have to go to their institution and pay their tuition and take a class and we're saying the humanities should not be how is Denis academic institutions that everybody should have some sort of access to the faculty for their expertise and to the humanities in general and there are ways to make them accessible to people other than a campus. So I'm using the term popular doesn't bother me but doesn't bother a lot of people so we say accessible another concern of Smith which was off the Record Express by some others at the conference is the growing number of academics as opposed to public administrators being chosen to head State commissions Smith blames the trend on the high unemployment rate in the postgraduate degree levels her colleague Phil Shively of Iowa City partly agrees that there is a growing tension over the marriage of scholar and public administrator. Feels that that tension is a fact of life to be accepted and worked around aside from the lofty philosophical questions. I made your business aspect of the conference was the expansion of a Federation of state and local Humanities agencies. Steve Weiland is the director of a 32 straight organization and explains its function to other states and the other kind of a Clearinghouse information activities undertaken by Nationals organizations for any number of different state programs at the simplest and most direct access I can get this has been a concern of some states but the planning committee for the Federation under the guidance of the states, which formulated how I've been very deliberate in avoiding any sense at this is a lobbying organization. It's a service Organization for the state programs. Why is it needed at this point it's needed because the endowment as a CSA programs have grown individually and as long as a group in the sense that it's only in the past State, I'd become apparent that they need a variety of services to make the individual programs better and the endowments budget self. It would not allow the provision of services to the various State programs. We wish they needed do you think that the Federation is going to be interested in working more closely with the media absolutely grams of its own in the sense that it will not produce or make grants for the production of individual project one of the very end of a national system of the reproduction of important videotaping film projects and distribution publicity for a distribution of those projects a tremendous amount of material which is produced by the state programs. Matter, which is a lying-in-state offices for lack of a national distribution system and I think quite a bunch of funding any new activity has received on the road but likely undertake we have an enormous task just to take just to make use of what has already been produced and that's where the Federation that's one of the reasons. The Federation was formed. No other way to see if we've been in business about 2 months and we we don't even have in that we don't have a permit location yet. So it is indeed it take off. Up against some of the regional battles that have been fought before. Well, it's hard to say I am I myself have been a party to it too many of the week in battles fought with a million-dollar. They're certainly Regional feeling which affect Federation membership and activities this that somebody had put it as a states rights tinge to some of the arguments against the Federation but very young set of programs in the country in that combination means that the effort to undertake a new activities is going to want to live take a lot of discussion clarification. And that's exactly why would my parents exactly what we've had executive director of the Federation of State programs in the humanities throughout the humanities conference at all levels there Remain the nagging questions how to bring the humanities to the people how to even Define the humanities to a populist. They're meant to serve while no firm Solutions came forth the officials continue together to design the tools that may soon provide. An answer I'm Nancy Fusion.