John Agresto is an author, lecturer, and university administrator. He worked full-time with the The American University of Iraq – Sulaimani as its Interim Provost and Chancellor. He is also a member of the University's Board of Trustees and Chair of the Academic Affairs Committee.

Life

In the 1980s, Agresto was the Assistant Chairman for the National Endowment for the Humanities

National Endowment for the Humanities

The National Endowment for the Humanities is an independent federal agency of the United States established by the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965 dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities. The NEH is located at...

 working with Bill Bennett

Bill Bennett

William Richards Bennett, PC, OBC , commonly known as Bill Bennett, was the 27th Premier of the Canadian province of British Columbia 1975–1986. He is a son of the former Premier, W. A. C. Bennett. He was a 3rd cousin, twice removed, of R.B...

 and Lynne Cheney

Lynne Cheney

Lynne Ann Cheney is the wife of former United States Vice President Dick Cheney and served as the Second Lady of the United States from 2001 to 2009...

.

In the 1980s, he was nominated by President Reagan to become Archivist of the United States

Archivist of the United States

The Archivist of the United States is the chief official overseeing the operation of the National Archives and Records Administration. The first Archivist, R.D.W. Connor, began serving in 1934, when the National Archives was established as an independent federal agency by Congress...

. At least thirteen national historical and archival organizations vehemently protested Agresto's nomination, citing his "decidedly partisan reputation." The American Studies Association dismissed him as "a mediocre political appointment" and the 11,000 member Organization of American Historians said that he lacked "the technical qualifications for the job." Opposition to Agresto was also based on his two-year refusal while at the Endowment to comply with federal affirmative action hiring requirements. Agresto vowed to resign rather than comply, but backed down after Congress threatened to abolish the Endowment. During the confirmation process, it was disclosed that six months prior to his testimony, a pro-Agresto witness at a Senate hearing had received a $10,000 "chairman's grant" from Agresto after an application for a $30,000 grant was rejected by a humanities panel. The nomination produced opposition and controversy for over a year before Agresto was dropped from consideration.

Between August 2003 and June 2004 he served as a Coalition Provisional Authority

Coalition Provisional Authority

The Coalition Provisional Authority was established as a transitional government following the invasion of Iraq by the United States and its allies, members of the Multi-National Force – Iraq which was formed to oust the government of Saddam Hussein in 2003...

 Senior Advisor to the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in Baghdad Iraq, and then as chancellor of The American University of Iraq Sulaimani.

AUI professors are said to tell students the university is "conservative university" dedicated to providing students a "conservative perspective," such as using the William Bennett

William Bennett

William John "Bill" Bennett is an American conservative pundit, politician, and political theorist. He served as United States Secretary of Education from 1985 to 1988. He also held the post of Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy under George H. W...

book, America: The Last Best Hope, as a text for history classes.

Books

• Mugged By Reality – The Liberation of Iraq and the Failure of Good Intentions. Encounter Books, February 2007. It was featured on CSPAN's book TV on June 17, 2007.
• The Supreme Court and Constitutional Democracy, Cornell University Press, 1984. (Reprinted for overseas distribution by Prentice Hall of India, 1986, and Ferozsons Ltd., Pakistan, 1987.)
• Liberty and Equality Under the Constitution, editor and contributor. The American Political Science Association and the American Historical Association, 1983.
• The Humanist as Citizen: Essays on the Uses of the Humanities, co-editor and contributor. The National Humanities Center, with UNC Press, 1982.

Professional Associations

• Member, National Association of Scholars
• Member, Council of the National Alumni Forum

Boards and Commissions

• Member and Chair of the Academic Committee, Board of Trustees, The American University of Iraq in Sulaimani
• Former Member, Board of Directors, The Ball Foundation, 1995–2001
• Former Member, Independent Commission on the Arts (Presidential Appointment)
• Former Commissioner, Columbian Quincentenary Commission (Ex officio)
• Board of Trustees of the Pontifical College Josephinum, 1990–1996
• Member, U.S. (Presidential) Delegation to Observe the Elections in Suriname, 1987

Education

• Ph.D., 1974 Cornell University (Government)
• A.B., 1967 Boston College (Political Science/History)

Honorary Degrees

• Kenyon College, Gambier, Ohio, 1989
• Institute of Policy Studies, Washington DC, 2005