CAMBRIDGE, MA | April 17, 2014 – The American Academy of Arts and Sciences today announced that Jonathan F. Fanton, former President of The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and of The New School, has been named its 46th President. He is currently Interim Director and Franklin D. Roosevelt Visiting Fellow at the Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College. He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy in 1999.
In announcing Dr. Fanton’s appointment at the Academy’s spring governance meeting, Don Randel, Chair of the Academy’s Board of Directors, said, “We are pleased to welcome Jonathan Fanton as the Academy’s new President. He has demonstrated leadership in higher education, philanthropy, and public policy and is perfectly suited to lead the Academy both intellectually and administratively.”
“I am honored to serve as President of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences,” said Jonathan Fanton. “I am looking forward to working with the Academy’s staff, governing bodies, and distinguished Members to build upon the proud legacy of this historic institution.”
Jonathan Fanton received a Ph.D. in American History from Yale University, where he served as Associate Provost and as Special Assistant to President Kingman Brewster. He subsequently served as Vice President for Planning at the University of Chicago.
Dr. Fanton has served as Chair of the Board of Human Rights Watch, Chair of the Board of the Security Council Report, Chair of the New York State Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities, and Member of the Board of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. He is currently Chair of Scholars At Risk and a Member of the Boards of the Asian Cultural Council and the World Policy Institute. He is also on the advisory committees of the Social Science Research Council and the Coalition for the International Criminal Court.
About the Academy
Since its founding in 1780, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences has served the nation as a champion of scholarship, civil dialogue, and useful knowledge. As one of the nation’s oldest learned societies and independent policy research centers, the Academy convenes leaders from the academic, business, and government sectors to address critical challenges facing our global society. Through studies, publications, and programs on Science, Engineering, and Technology; Global Security and Energy; the Humanities, Arts, and Education; and American Institutions and the Public Good, the Academy provides authoritative and nonpartisan policy advice to decision-makers in government, academia, and the private sector.