"American Philanthropy in Its Global Context" with Thomas Adam

Join us on Wednesday, April 16 at noon CT / 1 p.m. ET for Clinton Presidential Center Presents "American Philanthropy in Its Global Context," a conversation with Dr. Thomas Adam.

Adam is a historian and Professor of Political Science at the University of Arkansas. His new book "American Philanthropy in Its Global Context" (released by Policy Press/Bristol University Press on March 18, 2025) examines the development of philanthropy in the United States, highlighting its deep roots in European and Mediterranean traditions.

His discussion will explore how philanthropic practices and institutions were introduced into American society, how they were Americanized during the 19th century, and will provide a history of American philanthropy and how it fits within a wider global context.

This conversation will be moderated by Dean Victoria M. DeFrancesco Soto.

ASL interpretation is available during our programs.

Clinton Presidential Center Presents is a partnership between the Clinton Foundation, Clinton School of Public Service at the University of Arkansas, and Clinton Presidential Library.

Thomas Adam is Professor of Political Science at the University of Arkansas. A historian by training, he graduated from the University of Leipzig in 1999. After a two-year postdoc at the University of Toronto, he moved to the University of Texas at Arlington where he helped develop a Ph.D. program in transatlantic history. 

In 2020 he was hired into the Department of Political Science at the University of Arkansas. He specializes in the study of intercultural transfers, transnational history, and the global history of philanthropy. 

Among his book publications in the field of philanthropy and non-profit studies are “Philanthropy, Civil Society, and the State in German History 1815-1989” (Camden House 2016), “Transnational Philanthropy: The Mond Family’s Support for Public Institutions in Western Europe from 1890 to 1938” (Palgrave Macmillan 2016), “The History of College Affordability in the United States” (Lexington Books 2020). 

Host or Publisher Clinton Presidential Center