Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

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{{Infobox organization

| image = Ronald Reagan Building - Washington, DC.jpg

| caption = Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C., where the Wilson Center is headquartered

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| type = Nonprofit organization (501(c)(3))

| tax_id = 52-1067541

| status = United States Presidential Memorial

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| headquarters = Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center

| leader_title = President emerita and distinguished fellow

| leader_name = Jane Harman

| key_people = Joe Asher (board chairman)

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| affiliations = Smithsonian Institution

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| name = Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

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| abbreviation = Wilson Center

| established = {{start date and age|1968}}

| logo = Woodrow Wilson Center logo.svg

| location = One Woodrow Wilson Plaza
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20004-3027, U.S.{{Cite web |title=Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars |url=https://www.usa.gov/federal-agencies/woodrow-wilson-international-center-for-scholars |access-date=2022-04-30 |website=USA.gov |language=en}}

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The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (WWICS) or Wilson Center is a Washington, D.C.–based think tank dedicated to research and policy discussions on global issues. Established by an act of Congress in 1968, it serves as both a presidential memorial to Woodrow Wilson and a part of the Smithsonian Institution.{{Cite web |title=About the Wilson Center |url=https://www.wilsoncenter.org/about |access-date=2023-05-22 |publisher=Woodrow Wilson Center |language=en}} The Wilson Center describes itself as nonpartisan and provides a forum for scholars and policymakers to address critical international and domestic challenges.

The Wilson Center has been recognized as a leading global think tank. In 2020, the Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program ranked it as the 10th most influential think tank worldwide.{{Cite web|url=https://repository.upenn.edu/handle/20.500.14332/48577|title=2020 Global Go To Think Tank Index Report|first=James G.|last=McGann|date=January 28, 2021|issue=18|via=repository.upenn.edu}} It conducts research on international relations, security, economics, and governance, producing reports and hosting discussions that shape policy debates.

On March 15, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling for the elimination of several federal entities, including the Wilson Center.{{Cite web |date=2025-03-15 |title=Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy |url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/continuing-the-reduction-of-the-federal-bureaucracy/ |access-date=2025-03-15 |website=The White House |language=en-US}} The order directed the reduction of functions and personnel across affected institutions to the minimum required by law.{{cite news |last=Gangitano |first=Alex |date=March 15, 2025 |title=Trump signs order to dismantle seven federal agencies focused on media, libraries, homelessness |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5196704-trump-executive-order-federal-agencies-eliminate/ |access-date=March 15, 2025 |work=The Hill}} On April 1, 2025, Mark Green resigned as president and CEO, a day after DOGE's visit to the center.{{Cite news |last=Kavi |first=Aishvarya |last2=Wong |first2=Edward |date=2025-04-03 |title=Musk’s Task Force Begins Shutting Down Foreign Policy Research Center |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/02/us/politics/doge-wilson-center.html |access-date=2025-04-03 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}

Organization

The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars was established within the Smithsonian Institution, but it has its own board of trustees, composed both of government officials and of people from private life appointed by the president of the United States. It publishes a digital magazine, the Wilson Quarterly.{{Cite web |title=Woodrow Wilson Center Established |url=https://www.si.edu/object/woodrow-wilson-center-established%3Asiris_sic_896 |access-date=2023-11-18 |publisher=Smithsonian Institution |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=When Goods Cross Borders |url=https://www.wilsonquarterly.com/quarterly/when-goods-cross-borders |access-date=2023-08-06 |website=Wilson Quarterly}}

The center is a public–private partnership with approximately one-third of the center's operating funds coming annually from an appropriation of the U.S. government. The center is housed in a wing of the Ronald 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.{{cite web |title=Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars Plan for Federal Funding Hiatus |url=https://www.wilsoncenter.org/sites/default/files/wilson_center_plan_for_possible_lapse_in_federal_appropriation_revised_august_2015.pdf |publisher=Woodrow Wilson Center |access-date=February 4, 2019 |date=August 2015 |archive-date=January 21, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170121152656/https://www.wilsoncenter.org/sites/default/files/wilson_center_plan_for_possible_lapse_in_federal_appropriation_revised_august_2015.pdf |url-status=dead}}{{Cite web |title=990 Forms/Budgets |url=https://www.wilsoncenter.org/990-formsbudgets |access-date=2023-08-06 |publisher=Woodrow Wilson Center |language=en}}

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 the Heritage Foundation earlier that year.{{cite news |last=Parker |first=Kelly |last2=Watson |first2=Dan |date=2017-03-16 |title=These are the 19 agencies Trump would stop funding entirely |url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-trump-budget-eliminated-funding-20170316-story.html |access-date=2025-03-17 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}{{cite news |last=Restuccia |first=Andrew |date=2017-03-16 |title=Trump budget would wipe out dozens of programs |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/trump-budget-programs-facing-elimination-236119 |access-date=2025-03-17 |website=Politico |language=en}} In November 2022, the Russian government labeled the center an "undesirable organization" under Russian law, barring its activities in the country.{{cite news|url=https://interfax.com/newsroom/top-stories/84851/|title=Woodrow Wilson Int'l Center for Scholars designated undesirable in Russia - Prosecutor General's Office|work=Interfax|date=November 11, 2022}} The Heritage 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.

Administration

The board of trustees, currently chaired by Bill Haslam, is appointed to six-year terms by the U.S. president.{{cite web|url=https://www.wilsoncenter.org/leadership |title=Leadership|date=February 7, 2023}}

The board of directors include Haslam, vice chair Drew Maloney, private citizen members Nick Adams, Thelma Duggin, Brian Hook, David Jacobson, Timothy Pataki, Alan N. Rechtschaffen, Louis Susman. Public members include Antony Blinken, Lonnie Bunch, Miguel Cardona, David Ferriero, Carla Hayden, Shelly Lowe, Xavier Becerra.

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.{{Cite web |title=Wilson Center Names Ambassador Mark Green as Next President, Director and CEO |url=https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/wilson-center-names-ambassador-mark-green-next-president-director-and-ceo |access-date=January 29, 2021 |publisher=Woodrow Wilson Center |language=en}}

On January 20, 2025, Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that Brian Hook was fired.{{Cite news |last=Timotija |first=Filip |date=2025-01-21 |title=Trump fires 4 Biden appointees, including his own former Iran envoy |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5097601-trump-fires-appointees/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250123015257/https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5097601-trump-fires-appointees/ |archive-date=2025-01-23 |access-date=2025-01-23 |work=The Hill}}{{Cite web |last=Trump |first=Donald |date=2025-01-20 |title=Jose Andres from the President's Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition, Mark Milley from the National Infrastructure Advisory Council, Brian Hook from the Wilson Center for Scholars, and Keisha Lance Bottoms from the President's Export Council—YOU'RE FIRED! |url=https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/113864692804149616 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250121075134/https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/113864692804149616 |archive-date=January 21, 2025 |access-date=23 Jan 2025}}

Programs

Most of the center's staff form specialized programs and projects covering broad areas of study.{{cite web |url=http://www.wilsoncenter.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=topics.welcome |title=Programs @ The Woodrow Wilson Center |publisher=Woodrow Wilson Center |access-date=February 1, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629070020/https://wilsoncenter.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=topics.welcome |archive-date=June 29, 2011 |url-status=dead}} Key programs include the Cold War International History Project, Environmental Change and Security Program, History and Public Policy Program, Kennan Institute, the Kissinger Institute, and the North Korea International Documentation Project.{{Cite web |title=Programs |url=https://www.wilsoncenter.org/programs |access-date=2023-06-08 |publisher=Woodrow Wilson Center |language=en}}