White House removes majority of National Endowment for the Humanities, seeks to include members 'who align with its vision'

The White House announced this week the dismissal of most of the members of the National Endowment for the Humanities. This body advises the head of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Of the 26 members who comprised the council, only four remain on the official roster: Russell Berman, Keegan Callanan, William English, and Matthew Rose, all of whom were appointed by Donald Trump.

A White House official told The Hill that the council's work "is important to the President and his vision for the country" and added that new members will be sought who are more aligned with that direction. "The President is hoping to place members on the board who align more closely with his vision," they said.

The role of the council and the changes in the NEH

The National Humanities Council serves in an advisory capacity, allocating funds and evaluating cultural and educational priorities. The agency is currently headed by Michael McDonald, who took over in March following the departure of Shelly Lowe, who resigned at presidential direction. McDonald has been with the NEH since 2003, where he served as general counsel before taking over as interim chair.

The NEH was created in 1965 under the Lyndon Johnson administration and has since awarded more than $6 billion in grants to universities, libraries, museums, historic sites, public radio and television stations, as well as academics across the country.