National Humanities Center Announces Dr. Blair L. M. Kelley as New President

We're extremely pleased to congratulate our esteemed alumna, Blair Kelley, on this extraordinary appointment.  Dr. Kelley received both her M.A. and Ph.D. in History from Duke University, where she also earned graduate certificates in African and African American Studies and Women’s Studies.

A nationally recognized public historian, Kelley’s work amplifies the histories of Black people, chronicling the everyday impact of their activism. Before joining the NHC, she served as the Joel R. Williamson Distinguished Professor of Southern Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and directed the Center for the Study of the American South. She is the first woman and the first person of color to lead the National Humanities Center in its 47-year history.

The National Humanities Center is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing discovery about the human experience, fostering community among humanities practitioners, and empowering all those seeking to better understand and improve the human condition. Located in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, the NHC provides fellowships and other research programs for scholars, supports humanities education, and fosters wider public appreciation for, and engagement with, the humanities.

You can read the complete NHC announcement here.