The White House has fired the majority of the National Council on the Humanities, which reviews and recommends grant proposals and advises the chairperson of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Of the approximately 21 members appointed by various presidential administrations and confirmed by the Senate, only four remain, all of whom were appointed during President Trump’s first term, according to affected members and the NEH website.Two council members reached by Hyperallergic shared an email they received on Wednesday, October 1, from Mary Sprowls, a staffer of the Presidential Personnel Office, notifying them of their termination.“On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as a member of the National Council on the Humanities is terminated, effective immediately. Thank you for your service,” the two-sentence email read.Among those terminated were distinguished art critic David Hadju; physician Vanessa Northington Gamble, a professor of Medical Humanities at George Washington University; and Stanford professor and National Humanities Medal recipient Ramón Saldívar, according to a list from NEH’s website accessed via the Internet Archive.The White House has not responded to Hyperallergic’s inquiries. A spokesperson told the Washington Post that President Trump intends to fill these positions with individuals “who align more closely with his vision.” The NEH did not respond to a request for comment.One terminated member of the National Council on the Humanities, who spoke with Hyperallergic on the condition of anonymity to share sensitive information, said that no people of color remain on the council. All women members, including four appointed by Trump during his first administration, were also terminated, the source said.The council advises the NEH chairperson on grantmaking and critical organizational decisions, and nominates candidates for the highest federal humanities honors. Members serve staggered six-year terms and meet three times a year to review and recommend grant applications and provide advice on policy and organizational decisions. According to the NEH website, only 21 of the 26 spots on the council appear to have been filled before the wave of terminations.The mass firings are the Trump administration’s latest blow to federally funded arts entities established to serve the American public. Earlier this year, Shelly Lowe, the first Native American chairperson of the NEH, was removed from her position at Trump’s request. Trump has proposed completely defunding the NEH, and under his administration, arts and cultural organizations have seen their funding withdrawn en masse and unlawfully, as ruled by a federal judge in August. The NEH, under Trump, plans to divert those cancelled grant funds to the president’s proposed National Garden of American Heroes.The terminated National Council on the Humanities member told Hyperallergic that the members had been asked to submit materials for a background “reinvestigation” by tomorrow, Friday, October 3, but many were fired before that review could take place. The council’s next meeting was expected to take place on October 9 and 10, according to the individual. It is unclear how the ongoing government shutdown and firings will impact the meeting’s timeline.Lynnette Young Overby, one of the affected council members and a professor of Theatre and Dance at the University of Delaware, told Hyperallergic in an email that the mass termination signals a “political agenda infiltrating the council.” Overby was appointed in 2021 under the Biden administration. She never missed a meeting and came well prepared each time, Overby said.Another terminated council member who spoke to Hyperallergic on the condition of anonymity described the remaining members as “collegial,” but noted that they are markedly more “ideological” and “politically connected” than the individuals who were let go. The council’s four active members are Russell Berman, a Stanford professor of German studies; Middlebury College professor of political science Keegan Callanan; Georgetown business professor William English; and religious thought scholar Matthew Rose. Many of the council members, including the remaining four individuals, have extended their initial six-year terms. According to the NEH website and an affected council member, appointees are expected to continue serving past their designated end dates until a replacement is confirmed by the Senate and sworn in.One affected appointee said that it is common for the appointment process to stall for years.None of the affected council members reached by Hyperallergic said they are aware of any confirmed replacements for their positions.All affected individuals reached by Hyperallergic expressed concern about the future of the humanities agency.“With the mass firing of all but four members, who were previously nominated by President Trump in 2019, there is a void of diverse voices that can be helpful in promoting and disseminating the humanities nationwide,” Overby said.