Former Colby College President William “Bro” Adams resigned from his position as chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities on Monday after two years.
Adams was nominated as the organization’s tenth chairman by President Barack Obama in April 2014 and was confirmed by the United States Senate three months later. The humanities endowment supports research, education and preservation programs. According to a news release from the endowment, Adams told staff he was grateful to have been its leader.
“Leading this important organization has been one of the most exciting and gratifying experiences of my life,” he said. “I’m especially appreciative of the excellent and dedicated staff of the agency, who taught me so much about the importance of the humanities and the innovative and meaningful work that is going on at NEH and across the country.”
His resignation comes as the Trump administration is advocating for deep cuts to the agency and other federally funded arts organizations.
The National Endowment for the Humanities is a government agency that provides funding for cultural programs nationwide. During his time with the NEH, Adams launched an initiative called “Common Good: The Humanities in the Public Square,” which demonstrated the relevance of the humanities to the challenges of contemporary life.
Adams served as Colby’s 19th president for 14 years before retiring in 2014. During his time at Colby, he led an ambitious $376 million capital campaign which funded construction of several new buildings, expansion of the college on the Colby Green and other projects.
In February, while touring the Portland Museum of Art, Adams told the Press Herald, “I’m going to be at the NEH until I’m not at the NEH anymore, and I’ll see this through to whatever point it makes sense. And after that, I’ll come back to Maine.”
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