Statement by Executive Director Jim Ludes on President Trump’s proposal to eliminate funding for the NEA and the NEH

March 16, 2017

Pell Center Executive Director Dr. Jim Ludes released the following statement:

More than 50 years ago, Senator Claiborne Pell was instrumental in passing bipartisan legislation to create the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities.  The legislation succeeded because Republicans and Democrats believed that it was essential for all Americans to study and celebrate our history, our values, and our accomplishments as a society.  Federal support for the arts and humanities allows every American to benefit, not just the wealthy and the elite, and it makes our society stronger.  The budget proposed by President Trump today casts aside not just the legacy of a great Senator, but the work of artists and scholars who help us understand what it means to be American and what it means to be human.

– Dr. Jim Ludes, Executive Director