Board of Directors
H. F. (Gerry) Lenfest
H.F. (Gerry) Lenfest is the Chairman of The American Revolution Center's Board of Directors. He is a media entrepreneur and philanthropist. After graduating from Columbia Law School in 1958, he practiced law at the New York firm of David Polk & Wardwell. In 1965, he became corporate counsel of Walter Annenberg’s Triangle Publications. In 1970, he was made managing director of the company’s communications division. With the purchase of two cable television companies from Triangle, he started Lenfest Communications in 1974. In 2000, he sold his cable television operations to Comcast. Mr. Lenfest serves or has served as chairman of the boards and councils of many non-profit organizations, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Curtis Institute of Music, and the James Madison Council of the Library of Congress. He is a trustee of Columbia University, a past trustee of Washington & Lee University, and past president of the board of Mercersburg Academy. He served actively for three years in the U.S. Navy and spent 24 years in the Reserves, retiring as captain. He resides in Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Marguerite. They have three children and four grandchildren.
Bruce Cole
Dr. Bruce Cole is the President and CEO of the American Revolution Center. Previously, he served as the Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Appointed by President George W. Bush, and unanimously confirmed twice by the Senate, Dr. Cole is the longest serving Chairman of the NEH where he launched key initiatives, including We the People, a program designed to encourage the teaching, study and understanding of American history and culture. Dr. Cole came to the Endowment in December 2001 from Indiana University in Bloomington where he was Distinguished Professor of Art History. Born in Ohio, Dr. Cole attended Case Western Reserve University and earned his master’s degree from Oberlin College and his doctorate from Bryn Mawr College. He is also the recipient of nine honorary doctorate degrees. Dr. Cole has held fellowships and grants from the Guggenheim Foundation, American Council of Learned Societies, Kress Foundation, American Philosophical Society, and the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles. He is a corresponding member of the Accademia Senese degli Intronati, the oldest learned society in Europe, and a founder and former co-president of the Association for Art History. In November 2008, President Bush awarded Dr. Cole the Presidential Citizens Medal “for his work to strengthen our national memory and ensure that our country’s heritage is passed on to future generations.” The medal is one of the highest honors the President can confer upon a civilian, second only to the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Earlier in 2008, he was decorated Knight of the Grand Cross, the highest honor of the Republic of Italy. Dr. Bruce Cole was appointed to the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity in 2010. This committee advises the Secretary of Education at the U.S. Department of Education on matters related to accreditation and to the eligibility and certification process for institutions of higher education. Dr. Cole and his wife Doreen live in the District of Columbia and have two grown children.
Read more: Bruce Cole's full bio
David Acton
An arbitrator and mediator for the past 23 years, Mr. Acton specializes in the resolution of a wide range of commercial, construction, and international disputes. He previously served as a real estate developer (general manger of Hershey’s Mill for five years) and a corporate executive (secretary and general counsel of Leeds Northrup Company for eight years), as well as an admiralty litigation attorney and a principal of two entrepreneurial ventures. He served for two years as an officer on active sea duty in the U.S. Navy (1955-1957), between attending Yale University (B.S. in English in 1955) and the University of Pennsylvania Law School (J.D. in 1960). Mr. Acton previously served on the board of directors of the Chilton Company, a major publisher of books, manuals, and trade journals before its sale in 1979 to ABC Publishing. He also served for five years on the board of directors of the Merion Cricket Club, for 15 years as the secretary (president) of the Yale Class of 1955, and for nine years on the board of the Alumni Society of the Episcopal Academy.
John B. Adams Jr.
John B. Adams Jr. is President, CEO and director of Bowman Companies, a private real estate holding company in Fredericksburg, Virginia. He is also Chairman of Fauquier Bankshares, Inc., a community bank in Warrenton, Virginia, where he has been a director since 2003. He is also a member of the board of Universal Corporation, headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. Universal, through its subsidiaries and affiliates, is the world's leading leaf tobacco merchant and processor. He is a member of the Audit and Finance Committees. Mr. Adams serves as Chairman of the National Theatre Corporation in Washington, DC and is a former Trustee of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and the Virginia Historical Society. He received his Bachelor of Arts from the Virginia Military Institute and JD from Washington and Lee University School of Law. Mr. Adams is Chairman of the Board of the George C. Marshall Foundation.
Carl M. Buchholz
Mr. Buchholz is managing partner and CEO of Blank Rome, one of the nation’s fastest growing law firms. Mr. Buchholz concentrates his practice in government relations and complex commercial litigation. He was special assistant for Homeland Security to George W. Bush from 2001 to 2002. During that time, he also served as transition team chairman for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Mr. Buchholz has been listed in Who’s Who in American Law and Who’s Who in the East. He was co-chair of the Transition Team for Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett and served as Pennsylvania general counsel for the Bush-Cheney 2000 and 2004 presidential campaigns. Mr. Buchholz is chairman of the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania and serves as a member of many other boards, including the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, the Philadelphia Orchestra Association, Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis and Education, Philadelphia Academies, Inc., the Committee of Seventy, and the Pennsylvania Business Council.
Josiah Bunting III
Josiah Bunting III is president of The Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation in New York. He has been a leading educator for more than two decades, having served as Superintendent and Professor of the Humanities at the Virginia Military Institute for eight years and as president of Briarcliff College and Hampden-Sydney College. Mr. Bunting was commissioned a major general in the Virginia Militia and was promoted to lieutenant general in 2002. An accomplished author and sought-after lecturer, he holds honorary degrees from several colleges. He recently published a biography of Ulysses S. Grant. Mr. Bunting is a former trustee of the George C. Marshall Research Foundation and the Guggenheim Foundation, and a former trustee of the American Association of Rhodes Scholars. He was appointed to the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO, the National Humanities Council of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Civic Literacy Board of the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI), and ISI’s Lehrman American Studies Center.
Harold Burson
Mr. Burson is founding chairman of Burson-Marsteller, one of the largest public relations agencies in the world. For more than 50 years, Mr. Burson has contributed to the public relations industry and worldwide community as a member and leader of several organizations. He has served as presidential appointee to the Fine Arts Commission, chairman of the National Council on Economic Education, chairman of the USIA Public Relations Advisory Committee, and board member of the World Wildlife Fund. He is founder of the Kennedy Center Corporate Fund, a director of Kennedy Center Productions, Inc., and a trustee and founder of the Fortas Chamber Music Fund. Mr. Burson has received numerous honors and awards, including the Public Relations Society of America Gold Anvil Award, and the Arthur W. Page Society Hall of Fame Award, among many others. He is a World War II veteran with service in France, Belgium, Holland, and Germany. Mr. Burson is currently the author of a blog focused on the ever-changing role of public relations today.
Richard E. Caruso
Dr. Caruso is chairman and founder of Integra LifeSciences Corporation, a company that envisioned and created a new branch of medicine called regenerative medicine. He has served as Integra’s chairman since 1992. Prior to December 1997, he was employed for terms as Integra's CEO and president. From 1969 to 1992, Dr. Caruso was a principal of LFC Financial Corporation, a project finance company, where he was also a director and executive vice president. He is currently president of the Provco Group, a venture and real estate investment company. He is a member of the board of directors of Nitric Biotherapeutics, Inc., and Diasome Pharmaceutical and is an advisor to NewSpring Capital, Quaker BioVentures, and ePlanet Ventures. Dr. Caruso was named National Entrepreneur of the Year 2006 by Ernst & Young. He is on the boards of Susquehanna University and The Baum School of Art. He is the founder and president of The Uncommon Individual Foundation, a mentoring foundation. He is also a trustee of the Medici Archive Project. He received a B.S. from Susquehanna University, an M.S.B.A. from Bucknell University, and a Ph.D. from the London School of Economics, University of London.
Stephen H. Case
Stephen H. Case is the managing director and general counsel at Emerald Development Managers LP. For 28 years, he was a partner in the law firm of Davis Polk & Wardwell. He is a Trustee of Columbia University and is non-executive Chairman of the Board of Motors Liquidation Company (formerly General Motors Corporation). Mr. Case, an authority on bankruptcy law, is a graduate of both Columbia College and Columbia Law School. He has taught at the Georgetown University Law Center.
H. Richard Dietrich III
Mr. Dietrich is president of the Dietrich American Foundation which was established in 1963 to collect and make available to the public historically and aesthetically important examples of American decorative and fine arts, primarily of the 18th century. The Foundation's collection is on loan to more than 25 museums and historic houses around the country. Prior to that, Mr. Dietrich has served with organizations such as the American Farmland Trust as vice president of development, the Sierra Club as director of foundation and corporate relations, and Conservation International as manager of corporate partnerships. As an independent consultant, Mr. Dietrich has worked with the Inter-American Development Bank's Multilateral Investment Fund to help establish an institute to train financial professionals in management of funds geared toward direct equity investments in small and medium sized enterprises in Latin American and the Caribbean. He served as a consultant to the U.S. Agency for International Development where he conducted research on world social indicators. He also assisted with the drafting and presentation of a proposal in Spanish for a World Bank judicial reform project in Ecuador. Earlier in his career, he worked for Senator Claiborne Pell of Rhode Island. Mr. Dietrich received a B.A. from Wesleyan University and an M.B.A. from Yale School of Management. He lives in Chevy Chase, Maryland, with his wife, Ginger, and their two young daughters, Olivia and Gardiner.
Hon. Margaret (Peggy) Pace Duckett
Mrs. Duckett has worked in education and museums for 30 years. She served in two state Departments of Education, produced materials, curriculum guides, and teacher training programs nationwide, and received the Bicentennial Service Award from the State of Pennsylvania. Currently she is serving with ConSource, the Constitutional online database of original source materials, to provide digital materials using historical documents. She chaired the Guides Education Program at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. At Independence National Historical Park, she planned, chaired, and directed the Miracle at Philadelphia exhibition, the U.S. Constitutional Convention Bicentennial exhibition, in collaboration with the APS, HSP, and LCP. During the preparation for a permanent National Constitution Center on Independence Mall, she served on its board for many of the formative years as it planned its new building and exhibits. She served as the chair for the launch of Liberty! The American Revolution, a PBS television series. Currently she is on the board for the Mutter Museum, and on the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts. For 13 years, Mrs. Duckett has served with the National Council on the Humanities and as chair for the divisions of Public Programs, Education, and Preservation and Access. A Texas native, she lives in Center City Philadelphia. She attended Smith College, the University of Texas (B.A. cum laude), and Tufts University (M.A.).
Adrian R. King
Mr. King is partner in the law firm Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP. His practice is concentrated in the areas of general business and corporate law and government relations and regulatory affairs, public-private partnerships, and gaming. In 2003, he left the firm to become deputy chief of staff to Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell, overseeing public safety and homeland security functions. He was also the Governor’s liaison to the Departments of Banking and State, and to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. In February 2005, Mr. King was appointed to the Governor’s Cabinet, serving as director of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency. Mr. King is the recipient of the Pennsylvania Meritorious Service Medal, and the National Guard Association of the United States’ Patrick Henry Award. Mr. King is a graduate of Columbia University and the Temple University School of Law (cum laude).
Christopher Matthews
Mr. Matthews is the host of Hardball on MSNBC and The Chris Matthews Show on NBC. He has distinguished himself as a broadcast journalist, newspaper bureau chief, presidential speechwriter, and best-selling author. Mr. Matthews has split his career between politics and journalism. He worked for 15 years as Washington bureau chief and national columnist for the San Francisco Examiner and San Francisco Chronicle. He created Hardball in 1997 and The Chris Matthews Show in 2002. He worked in the U.S. Senate for Senator Frank Moss of Utah and Senator Edmund Muskie of Maine, in the White House under President Jimmy Carter as a presidential speechwriter, and as the top aide to Speaker of the House Thomas P. “Tip” O’Neill, Jr. A graduate of Holy Cross, Mr. Matthews did graduate work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Matthews also served for two years with the U.S. Peace Corps in Swaziland, Africa. He is married to Kathleen Matthews, Executive Vice President of Marriott International.
Dr. Barbara J. Mitnick
Dr. Mitnick is an independent art historian, museum curator, writer, and lecturer. Until her recent move to Philadelphia from Morristown, New Jersey, she served as an adjunct professor of American history painting at Drew University in Madison, New Jersey. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University and a Ph.D. in American painting, sculpture, and architectural history from Rutgers University. She has focused several of her exhibitions and publications on American history painting, including Picturing History; American Painting 1770-1930 and George Washington: American Symbol. In 1995, she was appointed by Governor Christine Todd Whitman to chair the Task Force on New Jersey History, a 27 member committee charged with evaluating and making recommendations concerning heritage tourism, scholarly research, and publications on New Jersey history, historic sites, history education, and government structures for the dissemination of history services in New Jersey. She has served as the chairman of the board of the New Jersey Historic Trust, as a member of the 225th Anniversary of the Revolution Celebration Commission, and as president of the Washington Association of New Jersey, the congressionally legislated partner of Morristown National Historical Park. In 2007, Dr. Mitnick was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as a member of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, which was established by Executive Order in 1982 to foster the civic, social, educational, and historical value of the arts and humanities in the United States.
Louise V. Oliver
Ambassador Louise V. Oliver served as the Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) from 2004 to 2009. As the first U.S. Ambassador to UNESCO in twenty years, Ambassador Oliver was responsible for the entire U.S. re-engagement with the organization and its 193 member states. Prior to her appointment at UNESCO, Ambassador Oliver worked in the public and private sectors, both as a professional and as a volunteer. She is an expert in the fields of education, philanthropy, public policy, and organization management, and has led national organizations in these and related fields. Because of her belief that education is the key to economic development and civic engagement, she assumed leadership roles in institutions working in the field of education. She also worked with the U.S. Department of Education to foster innovative approaches for achieving greater rigor in education programs. In 1989 former President George H.W. Bush appointed Ambassador Oliver as Commissioner on the National Commission on Children. The Commission’s report advocated major reforms in education, health, and welfare policies and programs at both the state and federal levels. As Vice-Chairman and Chairman of the Philanthropy Roundtable, Ambassador Oliver worked closely with the donor community to identify and support effective ways to promote positive change throughout society. She has also worked on women’s issues, and served as the Vice-Chairman of the Independent Women’s Forum. In addition, as a member of the Board of the John Carter Brown Library at Brown University, she helped to oversee one of the world’s premiere collections of maps, manuscripts, books, and other materials which document the history of the Americas from the 1400s to the 1820s. Ambassador Oliver graduated with distinction from Smith College, and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. She is married and has five children.
Thomas N. Pappas
Mr. Pappas was most recently CEO of UnitedHealthcare of Pennsylvania. Prior to holding that position, he was chairman and CEO of TNP Holdings, Inc., which he started in 1999 to provide marketing and management support to companies in a broad range of industries. For more than 15 years, Mr. Pappas was employed at Johnson & Higgins in New York and Philadelphia, prior to its merger with Marsh & McLennan in 1997, and worked on the integration team through 1998 for the merged entity – J&H Marsh & McLennan. Mr. Pappas has spent the majority of his career in Philadelphia and the greater Northeast. An active member of the community, he has been recognized for his contributions to the Philadelphia area. He is a member of the Union League Club of Philadelphia, and served as its president in 1997 and 1998. Mr. Pappas is vice chairman of the board of trustees at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. He received his undergraduate degree from LaSalle University in Philadelphia and a master’s degree from Wharton. He resides in the city.
Arthur L. Powell
Mr. Powell is president of Kravco, Inc, and chairman of Kravco Simon Company, which manages and leases regional enclosed shopping centers and manages community, lifestyle, and office centers. Kravco Simon's largest mall, the Court and the King of Prussia, has eight department stores and is not only the second largest but also one of the most successful malls in the United States. His association with the industry and the Philadelphia area began in 1956. He served as chairman of the board at Alfred University and vice chairman of Montgomery Hospital. He was named a Paul Harris Fellow of the King of Prussia Rotary Club and was also named a Distinguished Citizen by the Boy Scouts of America's Colonial District of the Valley Forge Council. Mr. Powell served in the U.S. Air Force and retired with the rank of captain. He received a B.S. from Alfred University, a Masters from NYU, and an honorary Ph.D. in Humane Letters from Alfred University.
Robert O. Safford
Mr. Safford co-founded the Alexander Hamilton Life Insurance Company in 1963. This firm was among the nation’s top twenty AAA rated firms prior to its 1995 acquisition by Jefferson Pilot. Mr. Safford was on the board of directors of National Liberty Corporation and was chief operating officer of National Home Life – a subsidiary of National Liberty Corporation (a New York Stock Exchange Company). He is the owner and CEO of Hamilton Financial Corporation, which has an international network of 500 offices producing $2.2 billion of revenue and over $100 million in after-tax profit for Citigroup and its subsidiaries. Mr. Safford is on the board of directors of the Phoenixville YMCA and is an avid golfer. He is a senior advisor of HIGHGROUND, an international ministry. He is a graduate of Cornell University and was an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps. Mr. Safford is a licensed private pilot with a single engine sea and land rating. He and his wife, Barbara, live in a historic home in the Valley Forge area. They have four grown children and 13 grandchildren.
Martha McGeary Snider
Ms. Snider was appointed policy advisor on arts and culture for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 2003, working directly with Governor Edward G. Rendell to promote cultural incentives throughout the Commonwealth. She is chair of the board of The Medici Archive Project and was the catalyst for the collaboration between The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia and The Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza in Florence, Italy, that produced an historic exhibition showcasing Galileo’s Astronomical and Scientific Instruments. Ms. Snider serves on several other boards including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Susquehanna Art Museum, Gettysburg Festival, International Visitors Council, Globalislocal Foundation, Mural Arts Program, Philadelphia Children First, Temple University, Tyler School of Arts Board of Visitors, and was a founding member of the Pennsylvania Culinary Society. She serves as an emeritus board member of the Philadelphia Orchestra. President George W. Bush recognized Martha’s commitment to philanthropy in June 2008 by presenting her with the President’s Volunteer Service Award. Ms. Snider holds a fine arts degree and a teaching certification from Temple University’s Tyler School of Art. She is an artist, flutist, avid art collector, and educator.
Jide J. Zeitlin
Mr Zeitlin is a private investor principally focused on telecommunications infrastructure in India and healthcare globally. Prior to December 2005, he was an investment banker at Goldman, Sachs & Co. where he was elected partner in 1996 and held a number of senior management roles in the firm’s investment banking division and executive office. Mr. Zeitlin is a member of the boards of Amherst College (Chairman), Common Ground Community, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Milton Academy, Montefiore Medical Center, Playwrights Horizons and Teach for America as well as the Harvard Business School Board of Dean’s Advisors. In addition to these not-for-profit boards, Mr. Zeitlin is a director of two publicly listed corporations: Affiliated Managers Group and Coach, Inc., and Vascular Biogenics Ltd., a private corporation. Mr. Zeitlin received an M.B.A. from Harvard University and an A.B. in Economics and English from Amherst College. He resides in New York City with his wife and two sons.
