60 Years of NEH-Funded Projects

Great Projects Past and Present
Buddha's head, digitally rendered in 3-D, as it would have appeared in the south cave of Northern Xiangtangshan.
Image Credit: Image by Jason Salavon and Travis Saul.

Created on September 29, 1965, by an act of Congress that states “Democracy demands wisdom and vision in its citizens,” the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) this year celebrates 60 years of advancing history, literature, philosophy, languages, and other humanities fields. 

Over the last six decades NEH has supported research, public programs, education, and preservation in the humanities. NEH grantees have preserved endangered languages and shown the history of the civil rights struggle through film. They have digitized America’s historical newspapers and discovered what life was like for early colonists in Jamestown.  

NEH grants help open a window onto our history and our future. Here are a selection of NEH-funded projects that have shaped what we know about ourselves and our world.

Explore Our Featured Projects