William English Appointed Acting NEH Chairman  

The White House today announced the appointment of William Edward English as Acting Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).

Founded in 1965, NEH is a grant-making institution of the United States government dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities.

English, a political economist at Georgetown University, has served as a member of NEH’s advisory board, the National Council on the Humanities, since his nomination by President Donald J. Trump and confirmation to that position by the Senate in 2019. 

“It’s an honor to lead the NEH at this pivotal time as we prepare to celebrate the nation’s Semiquincentennial. I look forward to helping the agency further President Trump’s vision for revitalizing public engagement with the humanities while deepening our understanding of American achievements, ideals, and institutions,” English wrote in response to news of his appointment.

English is an assistant professor at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University and a member of the Georgetown Institute for the Study of Markets and Ethics. He previously served as the research director of the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard University and as a post-doctoral research associate with the Political Theory Project at Brown University. His research has focused on the philosophy of the social sciences, traditions of ethical inquiry, policy evaluation, and institutional change. English received a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Arts from Duke University, a Master’s from Oxford University, and a PhD in Political Science from Duke University.

English begins his tenure as NEH Acting Chairman immediately and will continue in the position until the confirmation of a permanent NEH Chairman to oversee the agency’s grant-making. NEH’s General Counsel, Michael McDonald, who served as NEH Acting Chairman from March 2025 to January 2026, was nominated by President Trump as the 13th Chairman of NEH on February 4, 2026, pending Senate confirmation. 

National Endowment for the Humanities: The National Endowment for the Humanities supports research and learning in history, literature, philosophy, and other areas of the humanities by funding selected, peer-reviewed proposals from around the nation. Additional information about the National Endowment for the Humanities and its grant programs is available at neh.gov.