Since 1971
Our History
Founded by Congress in 1971, Missouri Humanities is one of the fifty-six state and territorial humanities councils that receives support from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).
OVER THE YEARS
50 Years of Missouri Humanities
The Missouri Committee for the Humanities was formed in 1971 and originally setup to serve as a grantmaker to humanist and cultural institutions in Missouri. Malcolm Van Deursen, Assistant Dean of the School of Continuing Education at Washington University, and Robert Walrond, Acting Dean of the Metropolitan College at Saint Louis University, were among the committee’s founders and first executive directors.
The timeline
Formed in 1971
Our organization was first called ‘The Missouri Committee for the Humanities.’
Incorporated as a non-profit in 1975
A New Deputy Director in 1997
Barbara Gill became a Missouri Humanities employee in March 1980. She served as Deputy Director from 1997 to 2003 with two stints as Acting Executive Director.
New Leadership Through the Years
After Barbara Gill’s tenure, Michael Bouman, Jim Wiedam, and Geoff Gilerango each served as Executive Director or Interim Executive Director at Missouri Humanities during the early 21st century. Under their leadership we continued to award grants to support humanities programs across the state.
The Leadership of Today
Dr. Steve Belko joined Missouri Humanities in 2015 and served as Executive Director until 2021. Under his leadership and that of our new Executive Director, Ashley Beard-Fosnow, our partnerships and community outreach have grown exponentially. We have also broadened our work in heritage programming, especially with Indigenous communities.
Continuing to Keep the Humanities Alive
For over 50 years we’ve been dedicated to helping Missourians explore the people, places, and ideas that shape our society. Our focus for the future remains the same; for a more thoughtful, informed, and civil society.
Missouri Humanities is a 501(c)(3) organization.
Our Vision
“OUR VISION IS FOR A MORE THOUGHTFUL, INFORMED, AND CIVIL SOCIETY.”
