Applied History Project

The mission of Harvard’s Applied History Project is to revitalize applied history by promoting the production and use of historical reasoning to clarify public and private challenges and choices. Founded by Professors Graham Allison and Niall Ferguson in 2016, the Applied History Project builds upon the foundation laid by Professors Ernest May and Richard Neustadt in the 1980s, reflected in their book Thinking in Time: The Uses of History for Decision Makers. 

Advancing its mission, the Project sponsors the Applied History Working Group of faculty members across Harvard University to organize discussions with scholars and practitioners; supports historians and policymakers in producing Applied History; develops courses in Applied History; funds the Ernest May Fellowships in History and Policy for pre- and post-doctoral students; and holds Applied History Events open to the Harvard Community and the public. Harvard’s project is one of the leaders among a rapidly expanding network of universities and think tanks that are furthering the discipline of Applied History by clarifying predicaments and choices to inform better decisions.

The Project gratefully acknowledges the Stanton Foundation's generous support for its Applied History endeavors. 

Quote of the Week 

“Good judgment is usually the result of experience. And experience is frequently the result of bad judgment.” – Robert Lovett, quoted in Arthur Schlesinger, Robert Kennedy and His Times (1978) 

(More Quotes ») 

Article of the Week 

“‘The Triumph of Economic Freedom’ Review: A Few Lessons From History” – Samuel Gregg, The Wall Street Journal, June 16, 2025. 

“Gramm and Boudreaux tackle seven longstanding historical myths about American capitalism that still influence economic discussion today,” Gregg describes in his review of their new book. The authors’ key lesson about freedom of the market is that “policy and ideological impediments to economic liberty, perpetuated by historical legends, are formidable, but free markets find ways to overcome them and limit their damage.” Observing Gramm and Boudreaux’s uphill battle—given that “their optimism requires that enough Americans maintain their faith in economic freedom”—Gregg reflects that “History, it turns out, is as important an arena for winning the endless battle for the American economy as the realm of theory and ideas.” He warns in conclusion that “Supporters of free markets ignore that truth at their peril.”