White House Fellows Program

John W. Gardner, president of Carnegie Corporation from 1955 to 1967, proposed the idea for a White House Fellows program, an intensive year of work at the highest levels of government for young leaders. Gardner hoped that such a program would cultivate a group of leaders who understand the challenges of national government and are committed to leadership in their communities. In 1964, President Lyndon Johnson established the White House Fellows Program, which was developed with Corporation funding, declaring that a "genuinely free society cannot be a spectator society." Since then more than 500 men and women have served as White House Fellows, going on to distinguished careers in many areas of society. Some have gone into government such as former Secretary of State Colin Powell, former Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, and former United States Senator Timothy Wirth. Others have become leaders in academia, such as Michael Armacost, former president of the Brookings Institution. Still other White House Fellows have enjoyed successful careers in the military and business.