NEH chair warns of 'American amnesia'

Speaking about what he called "the threat of American amnesia," National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Chairman Bruce Cole delivered a lecture Monday, arguing that too many Americans are forgetting their nation's past, a problem that will have repercussions in the future.

In his lecture titled "American Ideals and National Memory," Cole discussed the benefits that come from the study of the humanities, especially history.

"Without our memory, we have no bearings," Cole said. "We have no past, and no way to understand the present. We are more concerned with tomorrow than with what happened yesterday ... but we cannot see clearly ahead if we are blind to history."

The NEH, an independent grant-making agency of the federal government, was established in 1965 and is among the largest funding sources for humanities programs in the country. Its grants are targeted toward preserving and providing access to cultural resources, education, research and public programs.

In his address, Cole, a Renaissance scholar and the author of 14 books, argued that both in times of peace and times of war it is important to understand the principles behind the founding of the United States.

"The knowledge that sustains democracy must be transmitted down the generations," Cole said. "Democracy is not a birthright. It must be taught. It must be learned."

But there are large gaps in learning that need to be mended, Cole said.

Citing studies conducted by the U.S. Department of Education and private foundations, he said that 65 percent of high school seniors failed a simple U.S. history test, while 85 percent of college seniors from 55 of what he termed "elite" colleges and universities received a D or below on a comparable exam.

Such statistics, Cole argued, display an alarming trend that needs to be addressed.

"History teachers do not know enough history anymore," he said.

But just teaching history is not enough. He further emphasized the importance of teaching a full, unbiased account of all history, rather than omitting parts that showed America in a negative light.

"We don't want some sanitized version of American history," Cole said. "To promote some history that is only positive is really undermining some of the great achievements this country has made."

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The NEH, of which Cole is the eighth chairman, does its part to promote the study of the humanities. It launched the "We the People" initiative in 2002 as a "systematic effort to promote the study and understanding of American history and culture," Cole said. The initiative's annual $18 billion budget is allocated for research, fellowships, grants, teacher training and historical preservation.

"I believe we can make progress toward restoring America's memories," he said.

The lecture was sponsored by the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions. It was the fifth event sponsored by the Program this year and a part of its "America's Founding and Future" lecture series.