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 Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C., where the Wilson Center is headquartered | |
| Abbreviation | Wilson Center |
|---|---|
| Established | 1968; 58 years ago (1968) |
| Type | Nonprofit organization (501(c)(3)) |
| 52-1067541 | |
| Legal status | United States Presidential Memorial |
| Headquarters | Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center |
| Location |
|
President emerita and distinguished fellow | Jane Harman |
President and CEO | Natasha Jacome |
Key people | Joe Asher (Chairman, Board of Trustees) |
| Affiliations | Smithsonian Institution |
| Website | www |
| ||
|---|---|---|
34th Governor of New Jersey 28th President of the United States Tenure Legacy   | ||
TheWoodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (WWICS) commonly known as theWilson Center is aWashington, D.C.–basedthink tank dedicated to research and policy discussions on global issues. Established by an act of the United States Congress in 1968,[2] it serves as both the officialpresidential memorial toWoodrow Wilson and operates as a part of theSmithsonian Institution.[3]
The Wilson Center describes itself as nonpartisan think tank and provides a forum for scholars and policymakers to address critical international and domestic challenges.[3] The Wilson Center has been recognized as a leading global think tank. In 2020, theThink Tanks and Civil Societies Program ranked it as the 10th most influential think tank worldwide.[4] It conducts research on international relations, security, economics, and governance, producing reports and hosting discussions that shape policy debates. As of 2025, the Center is chaired by Joe Asher, appointed in 2023, and led by Natasha Jacome, who became President and Chief Executive Officer in 2025, succeeding Mark Andrew Green.[5][6]
On March 15, 2025, PresidentDonald Trump signed an executive order calling for the elimination of several federal entities, including the Wilson Center.[7] The order directed the reduction of functions and personnel across affected institutions to the minimum required by law.[8] On April 1, 2025,Mark Green resigned as president and CEO, a day afterDOGE's visit to the center.[9] TheKennan Institute, the largest and oldest part of the Wilson Center, declared itself an independent non-profit in November 2025, with the transfer of its remaining endowment and collection of books and papers out of the control of the Wilson Center.[10]
The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars was established within theSmithsonian Institution, but it has its own board of trustees, composed both of government officials and of people from private life appointed by thepresident of the United States. It publishes a digital magazine, theWilson Quarterly.[11][12]
The center is apublic–private partnership with approximately one-third of the center's operating funds coming annually from an appropriation of theU.S. government. The center is housed in a wing of theRonald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, a federal office building where the center has a 30-year rent-free lease. The remainder of the center's funding comes from foundations, grants, contracts, corporations, individuals, endowment income, and subscriptions.[13][14]
The center has faced challenges in recent years. In March 2017, President Trump proposed a budget that called for eliminating federal funding for the center, reflecting a recommendation issued by theHeritage Foundation earlier that year.[15][16] In November 2022, the Russian government labeled the center an "undesirable organization" under Russian law, barring its activities in the country.[17] TheHeritage Foundation again called for eliminating federal appropriations to the center in its "Budget Blueprint for FY2023", estimating savings of between $16 million and $21 million per year.
The board of trustees, currently chaired byBill Haslam, is appointed to six-year terms by theU.S. president.[18]
The board of directors include Haslam, vice chairDrew Maloney, private citizen membersNick Adams, Thelma Duggin,Brian Hook,David Jacobson,Timothy Pataki, Alan N. Rechtschaffen,Louis Susman. Public members includeAntony Blinken,Lonnie Bunch,Miguel Cardona,David Ferriero,Carla Hayden,Shelly Lowe,Xavier Becerra.[18]
On January 28, 2021,Mark Andrew Green was announced as the Wilson Center's new president, director, and CEO, and he began his term on March 15, 2021.[19]
On January 20, 2025,Donald Trump announced onTruth Social thatBrian Hook was fired.[20][21]
Most of the center's staff form specialized programs and projects covering broad areas of study.[22] Key programs include theCold War International History Project,Environmental Change and Security Program,History and Public Policy Program,Kennan Institute, theKissinger Institute, and theNorth Korea International Documentation Project.[23]
Media related toWoodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars at Wikimedia Commons
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