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Unlike most fellowship programs that once systematically excluded blacks, African Americans have received Guggenheim Fellowships throughout the foundation's entire 84-year history.
This year 10 blacks were awarded Guggenheim Fellowships. Seven of these 10 are currently affiliated with American colleges or universities.
Meyer Guggenheim immigrated to the United States from Switzerland in 1848. He settled in Philadelphia and there he operated a successful lace business which enabled him to make an investment in a silver mine in Colorado. The mining business became a huge success, ultimately operating under the name of the American Smelting and Refining Company (ASARCO).
Meyer Guggenheim had seven sons. One of his sons, Simon, joined his father in the mining business and later served for one term as a U.S. senator from Colorado. Simon had two sons, both of whom died as children. Having no heirs to receive his huge fortune, in 1925 Simon Guggenheim created the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation in honor of his first-born son.* The purpose of the grant program, as stated by Simon Guggenheim, was "to add to the educational, literary, artistic, and scientific power of this country, and also to provide for the cause of better international understanding." For the past 85 years the foundation has granted more than $273 million in fellowship awards to more than 16,600 individuals.
The Guggenheim Fellowship is one of America's most prestigious awards. The annual grants go to artists, scholars, and scientists on the basis of distinguished accomplishments as well as for demonstrated potential for exceptional achievement in future endeavors. Performing artists are not eligible for Guggenheim Fellowships. Those eligible apply for a fellowship award and the decision is made by a group of former fellows appointed by the foundation. Applicants submit a budget for their intended research and the foundation assesses the dollar amount each winner is granted.
In 2009 nearly 3,000 people applied for Guggenheim Fellowships and 180 were...