J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Parent department | U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs |
| Website | https://www.state.gov/fulbright-foreign-scholarship-board/ |
The J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board was established by the United States Congress for the purpose of supervising the Fulbright Program and certain programs authorized by the Fulbright-Hays Act and for the purpose of selecting students, scholars, teachers, trainees, and other persons to participate in the educational exchange programs.
Operation
Appointed by the President of the United States, the 12-member Board meets quarterly.[1] The Board issues an annual report on the state of the Program.[2] The Board maintains a close relationship with both the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) of the United States Department of State and the executive directors of all the binational Fulbright Commissions.
Eleven of the twelve members of the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board resigned on June 11, 2025, claiming that the Trump administration "usurped the authority of the Board and denied Fulbright awards to a substantial number of individuals who were selected for the 2025-2026 academic year." In response, an official from the State Department contended the resignations were nothing "but a political stunt attempting to undermine President Trump."[3]
Current board
Since June 2025, the only member of the board is Carmen Estrada-Schaye who has been a member since 2022 and is the President of Historic Homes Restoration.[4]
Notable past members
- Birch Bayh, former U.S. Senator (D-IN), (1995–2007)[5][6][7]
- Omar Bradley, Administrator of Veterans Affairs, (1947)[8]
- James Costos, former U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Spain and Principality of Andorra, (2022–2025)[9]
- Jen O'Malley Dillon, former political strategist, (2024–2025)[10]
- Frederick L. Hovde, president, Purdue University, (1951–1955)[11][8]
- Charles S. Johnson, president, Fisk University, (1947–1954)[11][8]
- Walter Johnson, chairman, Department of History, University of Chicago, (1947–1954)[11][12][8]
- Martin R. P. McGuire, professor of Greek and Latin, Catholic University of America(1947–1954)[11]
- David Price, President of the American Institute for Economic Research, (2023–2025)[13]
- Vinay Reddy, speechwriter, (until 2025)
- Louisa Terrell, lawyer, (until 2025)
- Helen C. White, professor of English, University of Wisconsin, (1947–1954)[11][8]
- Philip Willkie, attorney, Rushville, Indiana, (1953–1958)[11]
References
- ^ "AUWCL Hosts Prestigious Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board Meeting". American University. 2023-09-26. Retrieved 2026-02-13.
- ^ "Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board". United States Department of State. Retrieved 2026-02-13.
- ^ "Board overseeing State Department program resigns in Trump protest". Newsweek. 2025-06-12. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
- ^ "Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board". United States Department of State. Retrieved 2025-08-06.
- ^ "President Clinton Names Birch Bayh to the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board". The White House. Archived from the original on October 24, 2011.
- ^ "Former Indiana Sen. Birch Bayh dies at 91". POLITICO. 2019-03-14. Retrieved 2025-08-06.
- ^ "President Clinton Names Birch Bayh to the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board". clintonwhitehouse5.archives.gov. Retrieved 2025-08-06.
- ^ a b c d e Johnson, Walter (1965). The Fulbright program; a history. Internet Archive. Chicago, University of Chicago Press.
- ^ "Lowell native, former ambassador joins Fulbright Scholarship Board to invest in 'next generation'". Lowell Sun. 2022-07-18. Retrieved 2025-08-06.
- ^ "Jen O'Malley Dillon | Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs". eca.state.gov. Retrieved 2025-08-06.
- ^ a b c d e f "Univ. of Arkansas, Fayetteville: FULBRIGHT PROGRAM EXHIBIT". libraries.uark.edu. Retrieved 2025-12-02.
- ^ "Letter to the Chairman, Board of Foreign Scholarships, on the Fulbright Program | Harry S. Truman". www.trumanlibrary.gov. Retrieved 2025-12-02.
- ^ "David Price | Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs". eca.state.gov. Retrieved 2025-08-06.