The Living Legacy of W. McNeil Lowry

Frank Kessel is Professor Emeritus at the University of New Mexico. His previous affiliations include the Social Science Research Council in New York, the Bernard van Leer Foundation, the William T. Grant Foundation, and the University of Houston. Kessel’s Ph.D. is from the University of Minnesota and his M.A. from the University of Cape Town. His commitment to facilitating conversations across international and disciplinary boundaries—including between the social sciences and the humanities, and between research and policy/practice—is reflected in the many conferences and symposia he has organized and volumes he has edited. Kessel is an elected Fellow of the American Psychological Association, the Association for Psychological Science, and the International Society for the Study of Behavioral Development.

Frank Kessel: Preface – Darren Walker: Foreword – Frank Kessel: Introduction – Stanley Katz: W. McNeil Lowry, the Arts and American Society – The Role of the Foundation in American Society (1958) – Another Policy Question (1964) – The University and the Creative Arts (1961/1962) – The Contemporary University: The Arts (1966) – The University and the Creative Arts: II (1967) – Dedication of the Arena Stage (1961) – International Educational and Cultural Exchange: The Role of the Arts and Humanities (1962) – Juilliard School Commencement (1964) – The Commitment to Culture and the Arts (1963/1964) – Art and Intensity (1965) – The Arts in Education (1967) – Commencement Address: The Minneapolis School of Art (1968) – This Moment in the Arts: New Alley Theatre Dedication (1968/1969) – Regarding Nina Vance (1968) – The Milieu Crisis in the Arts (1969) – The Arts and the Society (1974) – Art Museums in America: Notes (1974) – The Art Museum and Its Responsibilities to Society (1977) – The Arts in America: Evolution and Tradition (1976) – The Role of the Artist in Education (1978) – The Performing Arts and American Society: The Past Twenty Years (1978) – The Performing Arts and American Society: Conclusion (1978) – Creativity and Maturity: Evolving Institutional Forms (1985) – The State of Governance in the Arts (1990) – From Patron to President: The View from Inside (1990) – Patronage of the Arts: The United States (1960) – The Economics of the Arts in America (1960) – The Arts and Philanthropy (1962) – The Foundations and the Fine Arts (1963) – Opportunities for Philanthropy in the Arts (1967) – The Economic Crisis in the Arts: Need for a National Policy (1968) – National Endowments for the Arts and the Humanities, Statement to Congress: Part I: NEH; Part II: NEA (1967) – National Endowment for the Humanities: Statement for House Select Subcommittee on Education (1970) –National Endowment for the Arts and the Humanities: Congressional Hearings on the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities (1973) – The Role of the Foundation in the Arts and Humanities (1969) – Toward a Public Policy for the Performing Arts (1976) – Patronage of the Arts: The Private Sector (1979) – The Arts and Public Policy in the United States: Introduction (1984) – The Arts and Public Policy in the United States: Conclusion (1984) – American Council for the Arts: Revisiting "The Financing of the Performing Arts" (1987) – Brademas Independent Commission on Government and Foundation Funding of the Arts: Address (1990) – Brademas Independent Commission on Government and Foundation Funding of the Arts: Seven Questions (1990) – Program of Philanthropic Support of Cultural Affairs through Institutions in the Humanities and Creative Arts (1955–1956) – Arts Program Evaluation, Objectives, and Policies (1961) – The Ford Foundation and the Creative Arts (1962) – Ford Foundation Strategy in the Arts: Review—Objectives of the Ford Foundation (1968) – Recommendations: Issues, Ideas, Program Areas (1972) – Lincoln Kirstein: "W. McNeil Lowry" – Peter Zeisler: "They Broke the Mold" – Selective Bibliography – About the Contributors – Index.

“We owe Frank Kessel a great debt for helping us understand W. McNeil (Mac) Lowry’s relentless quest to create a society that understands the centrality of the arts and the humanities. Lowry is one of the unsung heroes of philanthropy whose work has had a profound impact. As this volume proves, Lowry’s visionary leadership helped shape the trajectory of the Ford Foundation’s legacy in the arts and its continued insistence on excellence and innovation.”—Vartan Gregorian, President, Carnegie Corporation of New York

“W. McNeil Lowry was a towering figure in the history of foundation philanthropy. Frank Kessel’s fine book captures Mac’s wit, his wisdom, and his legacy.”—Kathleen McCarthy, Professor of History; Director, Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society; The Graduate Center, City University of New York