1992 – Washington, DC
Dr. Lynne V. Cheney served two terms as chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the independent federal agency that supports education, research, preservation and public programs in the humanities. Under Cheney’s leadership, the Endowment launched programs aimed at improving education in America’s schools, colleges and universities. Also under her leadership, the NEH provided major support for “The Civil War”, a now-classic documentary miniseries. Cheney has written and spoken about American education and the value of the humanities to one’s professional and personal life. She has been featured on television news programs and her articles have appeared in The New York Times, Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal and many more. Before the NEH, Cheney taught at colleges and universities, was a magazine editor and a widely published author. She has written two novels and co-authored a third. With her husband, former Secretary of Defense Richard B. Cheney, she wrote a history of the House of Representatives. A native of Wyoming, Cheney earned her bachelor’s degree with highest honors from Colorado College and a master’s degree from the University of Colorado. Her doctoral degree, with a specialization in 19th century British literature, is from the University of Wisconsin. She also holds more than a dozen honorary degrees.
