Curran, Edward

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University of Rhode IslandDigitalCommons@URICurran, Edward: Confirmation Hearing (1985) Education: National Endowment for the Arts andHumanities, Subject Files I (1973-1996)1985Curran, Edward: Confirmation Hearing (1985):Correspondence 35Edward CurranFollow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/pell_neh_I_20This Correspondence is brought to you for free and open access by the Education: National Endowment for the Arts and Humanities, Subject Files I(1973-1996) at DigitalCommons@URI. It has been accepted for inclusion in Curran, Edward: Confirmation Hearing (1985) by an authorizedadministrator of DigitalCommons@URI. For more information, please contact digitalcommons@etal.uri.edu.Recommended CitationCurran, Edward, "Curran, Edward: Confirmation Hearing (1985): Correspondence 35" (1985). Curran, Edward: Confirmation Hearing(1985). Paper 32.http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/pell_neh_I_20/32http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/pell_neh_I_20/32October 4, 1985 The Honorable Edward M. Kennedy United States Senate Washington, O.C. 20510 Dear Senator Kennedy: During the October 2 hearings before the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee on my nomination to be Chairman of tne National Enaowment for the Humanities, you asked if I would comply with Equal Employment Opportunity Commission regulations. I responded that I felt it appropriate to seek advice from legal counsel and NEH staff. I noted that I believe in affirmative action (as I do, and as my record will confirm) and that I support the nondiscrimination resolution of the National Council on the Humanities, that "The National Endowment for the Humanities should neither favor nor slight anyone oecause of race, color, national origin, religion, or gender." I replied in this way for several reasons: I agree with the National Council; I was aware of the strong position which NEH has taken on the matter in the past; and it had not been possible for me, as one outside the agency, to know all the background of this complicated matter. You asked that I add to my response, noting that you felt this was a matter of great importance. The intent of Congress on this issue is increasingly clear. Yesterday the Senate passed S. 1264, which reauthorizes NEH. The report of the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee on that bill instructs-NEH to comply witn EEOC guidelines and regulations. The House~..:reauthorization _,bill for NEH, H. R. 3248, has a similar provision both in.the bill and the report. I want to add to my remarks of Wednesday that NEH under my leadership will comply with all legal requirements under EEOC laws and regulations. I believe this is responsive to your concern. Warmest personal regards. Sincer~ly, , ~q~ Edward Curran cc: Members of the Committee - ----~-Senator Kennedy Question 1: Answer: Credentials - Previous Experience Do you think your limited previous experience will be a disadvantage or limitation to your work as Chairman of NEH. I disagree with the statement that my previous experience has been limited. During the past several years I have occupied two senior administrative posts in the federal government. Prior to that I was for twenty-five years a teacher and administrator in schools at the secondary level. My academic credentials include a BA from Yale (1955) and an M.A.T. from Duke (1968). I think that, on the contrary, my working experience has been in many ways particularly broad and instructive. In nominating me to head an important agency of the federal government, I think that the President was quite aware of the relevance and worth of my prior experience, especially as it relates to managing a complex organizational enterprise. I would suggest further that my experience in pre-collegiate education is highly pertinent to an issue that centrally affects the health of the humanities. Several major studies, including A Nation at Risk, have made it clear that there are serious deficiences in the way we educate our youth. Primary and secondary education is basic. Advanced education and research critically depend upon the foundation that is established in the schools. Moreover, education at the primary and secondary levels is universal: at some point every American is affected by what is taught at the pre-collegiate level. Sena tor Kennedy Question £: 8nswer: Credentials ~ Staffing Wh~t thanges, j,f tny, do you intend to make with the st~ff, p~ttitularly the senior staff. What cO~mitment do y~u have to bringing in experts ana ~uman1t1es ~tofesslonals into yQut decision-making processes. 01,,g·j,ng the hearing, I mentioned that I hive hid di$CYSsions with the division direstors and sevetal meetings with the Endowment's senior staff. l hive been impresseo w1 th their expertise, enth1.JsJ.ism, and concern for th~ humanities. At this time, I h~ve no plans to mike any ~a.jot staffing changes. As I have statedj f intend to meet with representatives from all areas of the humanities tb~~unity to disGyss their ideas and suggestions. I will also.rely on the NEH peer review system for guidance in awarding grants. The advice of the National Council on the Humanities will be sought f~t m~jor policy decisions~ $en~ tor Kennedy Question 3: DO you intend to hire Larry Uzzell in any capac;ity at NE:H? Answer: Nb. Sena tor Kennedy Credenti~ls - R_ejatio_nsh_ip With Higher Educati.on C.omm14nity Question 4: Wh~t relat.ionship will you seek with the hjgher education comm~n.i, ty to pursue mutual goals 9f ~n effective national pplicy in the humanities? I lobk torward to meeting with represent~tives of the high~~ ~dui.;:ation community and discussing their concerns in-the humanities in the yeats ahead~ A~ with p~st NEH chait~en, I expect to meet with many spokesmen from a.11 areas of.the humanities. --Sena tor Kennedy Question .5: --~-----8_r1swer: Cr e den t i i11 l s - LeD r:i e co Yduf biogr~phiGal matetial. submitted for your .present position lists tons1.Jlt~nt work fbr Tenneco which w~s not included in the material sybmitted to the- Labor ang Hyman Resources committee. What wa.s y.ou~ position with Tenneco? Were ybu teaching thete. What eduGational at etbnbmic development program, if any, we:re you involved in? I apologite for the oversight of not mention~ng this consultant w9tk in my submission to the Committee. f w~s a consultant to the Tehn~ssee Gis Transmission COtpbtation (now Tenneco) .i.h June and July of 1960 te assist the company in establishing schools in tht:!ir overseas operation~ in ~cu~dor, Bolivia, ~nd Argentin~. In 1963, I spent one tetm teaching in and evaluating the Tennessee G~s Transmission Corporation school I helped to establish for the children of Ameri.tah and nation~l employees in Eoijador and Argentina and for the children of Ame:rican employees in Bolivia. 1 have had no further association with Tennessee Gas transmission Corporation. ----· - --- ----------~ - -- -Sena tor Kennedy Qg_e--'s_ tj,_o_ri_ .6..: Answer: One letter which I received from the History of Science Soc_ie ty mentioned that, "during the pa st year NEH has cut off funding tbt several ~~jar OhgOing editing ptojetts~ such as the paper$ of talhoun and Fr~derick Dougl~ss4" Can you ex~l6re tot the Co~mittee, whether there has been a change of policy at the E:ndowment regarding ongoing ed! ting projects, or, whether these projects were not judged to be competitive? i understand that thete has been no "change Of ~olicy at the Endowment regarding ongoing editing projects •.. " In fact, staff informs me that the Calhoun project was funded. Sena tot Kennedy Q_LLestion 1: Credentials ~ P~rn:LJJ._$_ts What c;h(inges, if .any, will you make in the comgosition Qf pahel ~embers? Do you think that the paneli$t$ have been df the highest quality,and of a wide expertise, or, do you feel that you would tap new stholats and groyps to serve? 1 have been quite f~vorably impressed by the competence and seribusness of N&H panelists, and ~t is evident to me that the. &noowment has traditionally cast a wide net in selecting scholars and others kMowledgible in the humanities to Sefve in this capacity~ The Endowment does not selett panelist$ on the basis of sex, race, ot ethhic characteristics. Instead, the Endbwment's sole concern is that eath panel be made YP of persons who are highly qualified to review the specific set of applitations that will come before it. Nevertheless, I understand that th? c0mi:iosition of NEH Ranels f~lly reflects the btoaa cultyral and geographic diversity of the United States and of tne academic and professional groups from which they are drawn. 1 think that the excellent reputation -0f the NtH ~anei review syste_!m is well deserved. Senator Kenneoy Q!JeS tJ_01! __ 8: Aoswer: Credentials - Newe_r Areas of S_qholarly Research Wh~t ate you~ attitudes toward the newer areas of se~Olarly re§earch? ! wiil judge each individual ptoje¢t on its merits, without regard to the field of the humanities involved. I go believe, nowever, that the Endowment should_ emphgsize the central disciplines o.f the humanities. I'm not ~ure tnat concern for "newer areas of scholarly research" is warranted~ I understand that fuhdih~ ratios tor new interdisciplinary areas such ~s Women's studies and Slatk Stud1e$ are mueh higher than the overall Endgwment average. --------Sena tor Kennedy Question 9: Credentials - Role of NEH Do you $~e the role of the NEH as directive or res~6nsive, that is, would you see the NEH taking ? ~pecial initiative to ~f'IC::Ql,Jrage certain kinds of projects or as tesponding to the concerns of the $cholarly CQrnPI Yni ty? this que§tion is not simply an ~eithet/ot" 1$§Ue. NEH should be both "c:lirec::t:ive" and "responsive," al though I woula suggest using a word other than "directive." (Pe~haps ~dynamicfi is ffiOte ap~t6ptiate.) I retognize (and firmly believe) that NtH my§t remain responsive to the tbntetns of the scholarly community. I admire what Mr. Bennett and Mr. Agresto have done at NEH ...... setting a well-articulated sense of p1,,1rpose for the agency and establishing goal~ and objectives for advancing the hum~nities nc;1tionwj.de. These activities have been 50th "directive" and "responsive." I look fbt~atd to ~eeting with representatives of the' scholarly cOmmuni ty (a.s W~ll as public humanities gtbups) to discuss any tohtetns ct interests they rnay have about the programs and direction of NEH. Senator Kennedy EEOC Mr. Curra~~ Your predecessor, Secretary Bennett, sent Clarence Thomas, Chairman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, a letter on January 16, 1984 indicating that the National Endowment for the Humanities would no longer comply with EEOC regulations. As you know, Congress has given EEOC full authority to issue these regulations for affirmative plans for equal opportunity. Question 1: Answer: Question 2: Answer: Question 3: Answer: Do you agree with the point of view described by Mr. Bennett in this letter? As I said yesterday, I support Mr. Bennett's position on this issue -- race, color, creed, nationality, and gender should not be pre-conditions of employment at NEH. I also support the resolution of the National Council on the Humanities: "The National ENdowment for the Humanities should neither favor nor slight anyone becri w.c> of race, color, national origin, religion, or gender." I understand that NEH has an exemplary record for hiring minorities and women when compared to the rest of the federal government. In fact, employment of these groups at NEH apparently is also in excess of their overall representation in the humanities community. Will you give the Committee your full assurance that you will comply with EEOC guidelines? Yes. What timetable can you give the Committee for compliance with these regulations? The next required submission for NEH will contain the required information. !iluestion 1: - . - - - - - -- - -Agency - NEH Budget What do you believe to be a teasbhible *nd ef'tective budget for the NEH? The budget for NE:-H shbula be syfficient to fynd all the excellent applications submitted. ~ndowment senior staff have told me that the regyest budget for the agency for fiscal 1986 will support all the projected excellent-rated applicatiohs in aadition t.o many proposals .rated fivety ~ooafi ahd figooa~fi As Ch~irman, I will ensure that all extel.lent-tatea projects continue to be fuhded, ahd the bud~~ts 1 subffi.it to OMB ?nd Congress will refl~ct this commitment. it is iffipbttant to temember that suppott of the humanities is primar.ily the respohsibility of the private sett9~-NtH app•rently provides le$s than .6 percent gf total nation~l fynding of the humanities. Sen~ to~ Kennedy Q_y__~_sJ:__io11 i: · How active of a role do you feel the Chairman of the Nt:H should pJay concerning deliberations on it5 budget? ~n_s_ll__i:: Since the chairman is responsible for administering the budg~t., the ch~irm~n must be ~ctive in all deliberations ~Qnc~~nlng 1t. It is the ch~irman, after dye cohjultation with staff and the National Council on the Hvm~nit1es, who deter~ines the allocations of funds. among th various programs ahd diviSibns th~t at~ necesjary fdt cattyih~ tbtw~td the poiitie~ of th~ ~ge~ty. This i~ an impo~tant respQns1b~lity and one that must command the chairman's close attention. Sena tor Kennedy Question 3: An~wei:: Agency - Personal Commitment: to N~H Wh~t ~OYld yqy describe to be your personal commitment~ tQWiH'd the NEH? I am committed to making the Endowment tne vigo:ro1.,1$ champion of excellence in the humanities that it has b~come ~nder Mr. Bennett and Mr. Agresto. NEH is important because the humanities ate important. The humanit!es are a vehicle for citizens to engage in serioys thinking and reflection about t~eir culture. This is important indivi.aually ~nd personally to the citizen, but it is also important collectively to the culture and to the sbciety~ fhe humanities p~oVide a vital sense of its origin, development, and present tOndition of civilization. · NEH i~ important. As the enabling legislation makes clear: "the encoura9ement and suppatt of national progress and scholarship in the humanitie$" is r.ran appropriate matter of concern to the federal government." 6UT the legislation also makes clear that NtH i~ to play a lilflited role, that the humanities a.re prilTlarily a concern of private and local initiative. 

Curran, Edward: Confirmation Hearing (1985): Correspondence 35

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Curran, Edward: Confirmation Hearing (1985): Correspondence 35

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