The Wilson Center Celebrates 50 Years of Impact

Today, the Wilson Center has reached a milestone. Exactly fifty years ago, on October 24, we received a Congressional mandate to open our doors to Washington and the world. Along with that mandate, we had a vision to bridge the domains of scholarship and policymaking for the public good.

Befitting a “living memorial” to an internationalist president, we have evolved over the decades – growing our ambitions and our impact. This small sample of highlights from the past year demonstrates why the Wilson Center is now ranked the world’s #1 regional studies think tank:

• We provided critical analysis on North Korea and NAFTA;
• We produced a first-of-its-kind index of global women’s leadership;
• We testified before Congress on the Iran nuclear deal, Russian disinformation, and migration;
• We advised the National Security Council on Afghanistan;
• We were the venue of choice for the new Mexican president to address the U.S. policy community;
• Our fellows published books on cybersecurity and Chinese economics;
• We trained the next generation of Hill staff in foreign policy and cybersecurity.
   

Perhaps most of all, in this era of toxic partisanship, we gathered legislators from across the aisle to explore practical foreign policy options in a depoliticized, stick-to-the-facts environment.

Finally, we can’t mark this special day without quoting President Wilson at least once:

“There are many voices of counsel, but few voices of vision.”

From all of us at the Wilson Center, we are grateful to share this milestone with you.

As a non-profit, we rely on your generosity to keep us working, innovating, and turning our vision into action. Please consider making a contribution on this special birthday.