Jan Ellen Lewis Appointed to New Jersey Council for the Humanities Board of Trustees

Jan Ellen Lewis has been appointed to the New Jersey Council for the Humanities (NJCH) Board of Trustees. She will serve a three-year term.

“I first started working with the NJCH thirty years ago, talking to community groups in New Jersey about women’s role in the American Revolution," said Lewis. "To be able to join the board is an honor and a privilege, particularly as the Council is now charting a new course in embedding the humanities more deeply in our diverse and vibrant culture. I am thrilled to be able to work with my fellow Council members and the exceptional leadership of the NJCH."

The NJCH is a nonprofit organization serving the state through public humanities programming, such as speaker series, radio programming and other events. The NJCH also funds nonprofit organizations to develop meaningful humanities projects for New Jersey audiences. The NJCH board plays a central role in helping to raise public and private revenues. Board members also promote NJCH with individuals and organizations in their communities, as well as with elected officials.

Board members are chosen for their civic, academic, and business leadership. “Jan's extensive professional experience and knowledge as an educator and historian, as well as her commitment to public access to humanities and history programming, makes her a great fit for the New Jersey Council for the Humanities Board of Trustees," said Executive Director Briann G. Greenfield, Ph.D.  "The NJCH Board is comprised of community leaders that want to ensure that New Jersey organizations have the opportunity to integrate the humanities into their programs and that individuals throughout the state can participate in public humanities events.  Jan's valuable perspective will strengthen our organization."

Lewis is Dean of Faculty of Arts & Sciences and Professor of History at Rutgers University – Newark, where she has taught American history since 1977. She received her A.B. from Bryn Mawr College; her A.M. in American Culture and A.M. in History from the University of Michigan; and a Ph.D. in History from the University of Michigan. A specialist in colonial and early national history, with a particular interest in gender, race, and politics, Jan is the author of several books including (with Peter S. Onuf) Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson: History, Memory, and Civic Culture (1999); and (with James Horn and Peter S. Onuf) The Revolution of 1800: Democracy, Race, & the New Republic (2002.) She has served on many boards and is a past chair of the New Jersey Historical Commission.

Two other new members were appointed to the board of trustees. They are Caroline Casagrande, J.D. and Jewel McGowan Watson, J.D.  Read the full announcement here.

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About the New Jersey Council for the Humanities

The New Jersey Council for the Humanities is a nonprofit state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. NJCH harnesses the power of the humanities to strengthen our pluralistic society. We envision a New Jersey that delights in diversity, appreciates that there are no easy answers, and finds joy and understanding in the humanities. We work statewide with cultural and community organizations to bring dynamic programming to the local level.