ACTA Launches National Commission on American History and Civic Education

Today, the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) announced the establishment of its National Commission on American History and Civic Education.

The commission, comprised of 22 distinguished historians, political scientists, and education leaders, will take steps to remedy the long-standing failure of American colleges and universities to require a foundational course in U.S. history and government.

By the time of the 250^th anniversary of our nation in 2026, the commission will issue a white paper analyzing the crisis and providing crucial guidance on the essential elements of a U.S. history and government course and how to implement these recommendations in higher education. To inform both the discussions of the commission and higher education policymakers more widely, several members of the commission have agreed to contribute chapters to an anthology titled, What Every College Student Should Know About American History,which will be jointly edited by Joshua Dunn, executive director of the Institute of American Civics at the University of Tennessee–Knoxville, and ACTA President Michael Poliakoff. ACTA will partner with leaders in civic education to promote the establishment of a required U.S. history course throughout higher education.  

In 1962, President John F. Kennedy said, “There is little that is more important for an American citizen to know than the history and traditions of his country. Without such knowledge, he stands uncertain and defenseless before the world, knowing neither where he has come from nor where he is going. With such knowledge, he is no longer alone, but draws a strength far greater than our own from the cumulative experience of the past and a cumulative vision of the future.”

Unfortunately, our colleges and universities are failing in their crucial duty to prepare young Americans to be engaged and informed citizens. On July 8, 2024, ACTA released the results of its most recent national survey assessing 3,000 undergraduate students on basic knowledge of America’s history and system of government. Our survey, titled Losing America’s Memory 2.0, revealed that majorities of students cannot identify term lengths for members of Congress, the chief justice of the Supreme Court, or the president of the Senate, among other worrisome findings.

“It is long past time for our colleges and universities, which, we must not forget, prepare America’s school teachers, to do their part in addressing this dangerous deficit,” said ACTA President Michael Poliakoff. “This commission’s work will be a gift to the nation for the 250^th anniversary of the United States, one that will go a long way toward restoring the now sagging confidence that the public has in higher education.”

With the creation of the commission, ACTA builds upon its 29-year legacy of promoting academic excellence, academic freedom, and accountability in higher education.
Please see below for a full list of the distinguished members of our National Commission on American History and Civic Education.

Dr. Michael Poliakoff, ex officio
Dr. Jed Atkins
The Honorable Hank Brown
Dr. Jane E. Calvert
The Honorable Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr.
Dr. Joshua Dunn
Dr. Allen Guelzo
Dr. Richard Haass
The Honorable Dr. John Hillen
Dr. Robert “KC” Johnson
Dr. Wilfred McClay
Dr. Louise Mirrer
Dr. Roosevelt Montás
Dr. Lucas Morel
Dr. Vincent Phillip Muñoz
Anne Neal
Dr. Colleen Sheehan
Dr. Lawrence H. Summers
Dr. Stephen Joel Trachtenberg
Dr. Jean Yarbrough
Dr. Gordon Wood
Dr. Jonathan Zimmerman

MEDIA CONTACT: Gabrielle Anglin
EMAIL: ganglin@goacta.org