Mission:
The Henry Luce Foundation supports the interdisciplinary exploration of higher education; increased understanding between Asia and the United States; the study of religion and theology; scholarship in American art; opportunities for women in science and engineering; and environmental and public policy programs.

Background:
Henry R. Luce, the co-founder of Time magazine, was born in China in 1898. The son of missionaries, Luce moved to the United States during his high school years and eventually attended Yale University. He helped launch Time in 1923 as the magazine's business manager. After the sudden death of his partner, Briton Hadden, in 1929, Luce became editor of the magazine and later expanded Time Inc.'s publishing business to include magazine titles such as Fortune, Life, and Sports Illustrated. Luce established his foundation in 1936 and left it a significant share of Time Inc. stock upon his death in 1967.

Outstanding Feature:
The Luce Foundation's Web site profiles each of its program areas, including the American Art Program, which focuses on the fine and decorative arts and provides support for all periods and genres of American art history. The program's Web pages describe the Luce Fund in American Art, an annual grant competition for scholarly American art exhibitions and publications organized by museums; the foundation's Responsive Grants, which support projects that address needs in the field of American art; and its Dissertation Fellowships and Research Awards. In addition, the program site features a list of current American art exhibitions supported by the foundation and the results of the American Collections Enhancement initiative, the foundation's effort in the late 1990s to highlight American art collections that are not widely known.