President Edward Hirsch's Remarks on the Guggenheim Foundation's Centennial

On May 28th, 1925, the Guggenheim Foundation's first Board of Trustees certified the appointment of the first-ever class of 15 Guggenheim Fellows. To mark the occasion, for our New York-area Centennial Celebration on May 15th, Guggenheim Foundation President (and 1985 Fellow in Poetry) Edward Hirsch delivered remarks on the Foundation's first 100 years and its importance now, more than ever. "In celebrating remarkable individuals who further the common good," he says, "We seek to champion a hopeful vision of what America could be, at its best." Read on for the whole speech, as well as a video.

During the more than two decades I’ve had the honor of leading the Guggenheim Foundation, two evocative lines by Walt Whitman have helped me think about, and understand, the work we do. “One’s- Self I sing, a single separate person / Yet utter the word Democratic, the word En-Masse.” Whitman begins by celebrating himself, his own autonomy and unique identity; then he immediately pivots to the community, the democratic whole, the larger populace. He believes in the equality of souls, each pursuing a particular path, but always in relationship to a larger communal enterprise. 

In this embracing spirit of Whitman, we at the Guggenheim Foundation celebrate extraordinary individuals and the inventive work they do. We aim to contribute, without expectation or agenda, to every fellows’ long-term self-realization. But we also support their contributions to their areas of specialty, as well as to the broader realm of knowledge. In celebrating remarkable individuals who further the common good, we seek to champion a hopeful vision of what America could be, at its best.

The Guggenheim Foundation has been giving fellowships for 100 years. At this point, we have awarded nearly 20,000 fellowships at the highest level of achievement. We have supported the most imaginative and innovative scholars, scientists, and creative artists through every phase of American history since 1925. We bucked the tide and awarded fellowships through the Great Depression, World War II, the McCarthy era, the Cold War, and, in fact, every American social crisis. We took on the challenge of running a competition remotely so that we could award fellowships during the pandemic. It heartens, and humbles, me to say that we have never missed a beat or lost a year.

Our country is now facing an unprecedented war on intellectual and cultural life.In light of this existential threat to our values, to our democracy, and to our very way of life, I want to reaffirm the fundamental principles and the mission of the Guggenheim Foundation:

We believe in the Sciences.

We believe in the Social Sciences.

We believe in the Humanities.

We believe in the Arts. 

And we believe in the free and open pursuit of fresh ideas in every field, free from institutional and ideological pressures.

Our foundation will not be deterred from this simple but crucial task: supporting exceptional individuals to do groundbreaking work and fulfill their destinies “under the freest possible conditions.”

The Guggenheim Foundation itself is more than an individual. As a nonprofit entity, we represent a collective, a dream of community, a sort of Commons. The annual selection of fellows is our form of Fellowship. It is our way of making a difference, of contributing to society as a whole. We believe in knowledge. We believe in expertise.  We believe in truth. Identifying, evaluating, and subsidizing individuals who are the best of the best—this work represents the nobility of our mission. Because we know that Guggenheim Fellows help all of us create a better world.