Andrew Delbanco is the new president of the Teagle Foundation. Delbanco is not new to Teagle, having been a member of the foundation’s board of directors since 2009 and chair of its programs committee since 2014. Delbanco has served as a professor at Columbia University since 1985, holding the Julian Clarence Levi chair in the Humanities and, from 2005 to 2015, was director of American Studies. Now he is the Alexander Hamilton Professor of American Studies. Prior to his tenure at Columbia University, Delbanco taught at his alma mater, Harvard University, for four years. He started teaching there directly after earning his bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D., graduating in 1980. During his long tenure at Columbia, Delbanco has authored eight books and numerous essays in academic journals. His work was recognized at the highest levels in 2012 when President Barack Obama awarded him the National Humanities Medal “for his writings on higher education and the place classic authors hold in history and contemporary life.” Other recognitions include the 2006 Great Teacher Award from the Society of Columbia Graduates and the 2003 New York State Scholar of the Year. Additionally, Time Magazine named him as “America’s Best Social Critic” in 2001.
Delbanco is a longtime fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences as well as the American Philosophical Society. He has also received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Humanities Center and the American Council of Learned Societies. Walter C. Teagle III, chair of Teagle’s board of directors, expressed his full support for Delbanco’s appointment: “Andy will be a strong leader with vision and respect for the Teagle mission. He is a thoughtful, committed educator with over three decades of experience as a teacher and scholar. His life’s work has been dedicated to promoting excellence in teaching and improving and enhancing student learning.” Andrew Delbanco succeeds outgoing president, Judith R. Shapiro, in July 2018.
