Historian Bernard Bailyn, Adams University Professor Emeritus, has been selected by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to deliver the 27th Jefferson Lecture in the Humanities in March. The lectureship is the U.S. government's highest honor for achievement in the humanities.

"Bernard Bailyn is one of America's most eminent historians," said William Ferris, chair of the NEH. "His main work, on the ideas and beliefs that have shaped the American nation from the beginning, is an excellent context for taking stock of our nation's heritage as we stand at the cusp of a new millennium. I am delighted to name him this year's Jefferson Lecturer in the Humanities."

Bailyn's lecture is titled "'To Begin the World Anew': Politics and the Creative Imagination." He will deliver the lecture Monday, March 23, at 7:30 p.m. in the Concert Hall of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. Those interested in attending the lecture should call (202) 606-8446 for more information.