Commission on the Year 2000

The American Academy established the Commission on the Year 2000 in 1964 1.) to make logical assumptions about the future and 2.) to identify problem areas and social and intellectual questions likely to be central by the year 2000.

The first phase of the Commission saw the collaboration of over thirty formal members from varying professional fields, and over fifty scholars who participated in some capacity. Members included Warren Bennis, Charles Ikle, Herman Kahn, Wassily Leontief, Harvey Perloff, Roger Revlle, and more.

Commission Chair Daniel Bell was interested in “futurology,” the field of future studies and long-range forecasting. Included in the Commission files is a manuscript by Bell which expounds on futurology and differentiates between previous attempts of forecasting, and what the Commission and Bell were able to accomplish with their findings. 

Jon Wilkman, one of the directors for CBS’ “The Twentieth Century,” requested any information the Commission may have had regarding the various areas of research the series was to concentrate on, including transportation, space exploration, oceanography, and medicine. MGM Studios contacted the Commission as well during this time, interested in the knowledge made available through the coming together of so many intellectuals dedicated to the study of the future.

Articles from around the nation reported on different findings of the Commission such as: rising prices of land; disposable paper clothing; paying bills with your computer in conjunction with your bank; up to 218 days off during the year; and the emergence of a new “gentleman’s class” that would not work (or work very little), and have enough money to spend their time leisurely.

The Japan Economic Research Center was one of the many international institutions which purchased the Commission volumes published after the completion of the first phase. The Center was themselves sponsoring an international futurology conference, which included Daniel Bell as a specialist, entitled “The World in 2000” in 1967.