Thomas J. Scherer Elected Chair of NHC Board of Trustees

The National Humanities Center (NHC) is pleased to announce that Thomas J. Scherer has been elected chair of its board of trustees.

Scherer has been a trustee of the Center since 2004 and is a longstanding member of the board’s executive committee. For the past two years, he has served as vice chair. In addition to his work on behalf of the NHC, Scherer has been an active donor and philanthropic advocate for a variety of organizations, including the Royal Shakespeare Company, Equal Justice Works, and The Actors Center NYC.

“Thomas Scherer has been a steadfast champion of the National Humanities Center and its vision for championing humanities scholarship,” said Dr. Blair LM Kelley, president and director of the Center. “His deep institutional commitment, coupled with an exceptional legal career and commitment to humanistic inquiry, makes him uniquely suited to guide our board.”

Scherer has led a distinguished corporate legal career, most recently as General Counsel at Aegon Asset Management. Prior to joining Aegon Asset Management in 2018, he held senior legal positions at AIG and Swiss Re. Earlier in his career, he served as a managing director at Morgan Stanley, and began his private legal practice as an associate at Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP.

Before entering corporate law, Scherer served as a captain in the US Army from 1984 to 1988.

Scherer earned his Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Princeton University before completing his Juris Doctor at Columbia University School of Law. His humanities education at Princeton laid the groundwork for a lifelong commitment to supporting higher education and humanistic study.

“It is an extraordinary honor to be elected chair of the board of trustees at the National Humanities Center,” said Scherer. “For nearly five decades, the Center has stood as an essential sanctuary for independent thought, critical research, and creative exploration. I look forward to working closely with Dr. Kelley, our fellow trustees, and the entire NHC community as we continue to build on the Center’s remarkable legacy.”