John Simon Guggenheim Foundation

Established in 1925 by former United States Senator and Mrs. Simon Guggenheim, in memory of seventeen-year-old John Simon Guggenheim, the elder of their two sons, who died April 26, 1922, the Foundation has sought from its inception to "add to the educational, literary, artistic, and scientific power of this country, and also to provide for the cause of better international understanding," as the Senator explained in his initial Letter of Gift (March 26, 1925). The Fellowship competition was at first open only to citizens of either the United States or its possessions. In keeping with the Guggenheims' intentions, as expressed in their First Letter of Gift, the awards were originally titled the "John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowships for Advanced Study Abroad." Beginning with the inaugural class of fifteen Fellows in 1926, all Fellows were required to spend their terms outside of the United States. But eager to place as few restrictions as possible on the Fellows, the Foundation rescinded that requirement with the competition of 1941. The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation is pleased to have supported the work of its over 16,000 past and present Fellows.