James Shulman, the Rockefeller Archive Center's new President

James L. Shulman was appointed by the Board of Trustees of the Rockefeller Archive Center as the new President of the institution, and stepped into the role on September 1. Shulman previously served as Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS), a nonprofit federation of 81 scholarly organizations in the humanities and social sciences dedicated to advancing the creation and circulation of knowledge in these fields. He succeeded Jack Meyers, who retired this summer.

"With immense gratitude to Jack for 17 productive and pioneering years as the founding leader of the Archive as an independent organization," board chair Ira Katznelson commented, "we are delighted to have recruited a successor who, likewise, possesses strategic imagination, passion for preservation, philanthropy, and scholarship, and a wealth of organizational experience."

"The Rockefeller Archive Center has long been a leader in both the analogue and digital stewardship of complex 20th and 21st century archives," said Shulman. "These archives offer an extraordinary opportunity to support both academic and public understanding of philanthropy. I am both honored and excited to have the chance to work with such a talented team and contribute to our society's understanding of what philanthropy has -- and continues to -- contribute to the world."

Before coming to ACLS, Shulman was Senior Fellow in Residence at the Mellon Foundation and, for 16 years, President of Artstor, which works with museums, artists, libraries, and teachers at all levels to use digital technology to enhance scholarship, teaching, and learning in the arts and associated fields. Shulman also served as Researcher and Program Officer at the Mellon Foundation from 1994 to 2001, and as Financial and Administrative Officer of the Foundation from 1997 to 2001. Shulman holds a B.A. and Ph.D. in Renaissance Studies from Yale University.

Shulman has published widely on higher education, philanthropy, cultural history and the humanities. In 1998, he collaborated with William Bowen and Derek Bok on The Shape of the River: Long-term Consequences of Considering Race in College and University Admissions, and in 2001 he collaborated with William Bowen again on The Game of Life: College Sports and Educational Values. His most recent book, The Synthetic University, published by Princeton University Press in 2023, was recognized as a Forbes Best Higher Education Book.

The Rockefeller Archive Center is a major repository and research center dedicated to the study of philanthropy and its impact. Established in 1974, it houses a wide range of materials, including records of philanthropic institutions, such as the Rockefeller, Ford, Luce, Hewlett and Knight Foundations, papers of individuals associated with philanthropic organizations, and papers of Rockefeller family members. The Archive Center collects, manages, preserves, and provides broad and equitable access to these historical records, fostering critical analysis and contributing knowledge to diverse communities.