American Assembly

The American Assembly was a think tank at Columbia University, founded in 1950 by General Dwight Eisenhower. It was his most enduring achievement and legacy as president of Columbia, though some, such as his successor as President of Columbia University, Grayson Kirk, believed that the idea was "naive" and "extremely simplistic." For over 70 years, it fostered nonpartisan public-policy discussions by convening, research, and publication. Over 100 "American Assemblies" were held on topics ranging from prison reform to healthcare to nuclear disarmament. In more recent years, Assembly projects made a wide range of contributions to economic, urban, and cultural policy, including projects on workforce development, financial regulation, and the role of the arts in American universities. In July 2023, the American Assembly merged with the Interdisciplinary Center for Innovative Theory and Empirics (INCITE) "to become Incite, an official institute at Columbia University."