Most of Humanities Advisory Council Fired

Only four people remain on an advisory committee for the National Endowment for the Humanities after the Trump administration fired a majority of the members, The Washington Post reported.

The remaining members were all appointed by President Trump. Made up of 26 people, the National Council on the Humanities gives input to the NEH chair on grant-making, policy and funding decisions. NEH has cut staff and grants since Trump took office, and it’s one of several agencies that the president wants to close altogether. 

The Post reported the council was supposed to give feedback this week on proposals for the National Garden of American Heroes program that the administration created this year. 

Karen Stout, who has served on the council since 2022 and was among those fired, told the Post she was disappointed by the firings. Stout is president of Achieving the Dream, which advocates for community colleges. She previously led Montgomery County Community College.

“All of us, no matter who appointed us, were proud to serve on the council and were doing our best under both administrations to honor the work of the council and the direction of the administrations,” she told the Post.