Bradley Inducted into American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Betsy Bradley, Laurie Hearin McRee Director, Mississippi Museum of Art (MMA), was inducted into the 2024 class of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (the Academy) in its annual ceremony on September 21, 2024, in recognition of her exceptional leadership in the cultural nonprofit sector. Since 1781, the Academy has honored individuals demonstrating excellence and innovation in the arts, democracy, industry, education, global affairs, and science.

With the broad diversity of members elected this year, we continue to expand on the commitment to excellence and wide-ranging expertise established by our founders," said the Academy's Chair of the Board, Goodwin Liu, Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court. "The honor of election comes with an invitation for new members to rededicate themselves to the common good by advancing the Academy's nonpartisan, cross-disciplinary work."

Bradley said, "This recognition is deeply meaningful, and I am honored to be part of the class of 2024 alongside so many distinguished individuals. Like the Academy, the Mississippi Museum of Art—our staff, board, and supporters—is guided by its commitment to core values, including advancing 'the common good' through honest investigations into our own cultural histories while connecting those to national and international narratives. Our institutional strategies and priorities are aligned to bring artists, artworks, and our communities together in the service of inspiration, creativity, and stronger relationships. We aim to spark national conversations that recognize Mississippi's narrative as one of resilience, authenticity, and progress."

The 2024 class also includes Kaywin Feldman, Director of the National Gallery of Art; Elizabeth L. Hillman, President and CEO of the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum; Henry Timms, President and CEO of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts; and W. Richard West, Jr., President and CEO of the Autry Museum of the American West.

Notable members from past classes include Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, Margaret Mead, Milton Friedman, John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., Stephen Hawking, Michelle Obama, Anna Deavere Smith, Darren Walker, and Sherilynn Ifill.