A brief history

The Fulbright programme was established in 1946 as an initiative of US Senator J. William Fulbright. He believed the programme could play an important role in building a lasting world peace in the aftermath of World War II.

In Senator Fulbright's words, "the programme aims ... to bring a little more knowledge, a little more reason, and a little more compassion into world affairs and thereby to increase the chance that nations will learn at last to live in peace and friendship."

The Fulbright Act

The Fulbright Act was an ingenious piece of legislation. At the end of World War II, allied nations owed money to the United States for surplus American-owned aircraft, equipment and buildings. Senator Fulbright convinced the US government to allow these countries to keep the assets in exchange for contributing to the establishment of a local Fulbright programme.

Today, the Fulbright programme is the world's largest bi-national education programme, operating in over 150 countries. Since 1948, over 1,300 New Zealanders have travelled to the United States and some 1,100 Americans have come to New Zealand on Fulbright awards.

Notable Fulbrighters

Notable New Zealand Fulbrighters include:

• former Prime Minister and Ambassador Sir Wallace (Bill) Rowling
• Nobel prize-winning scientist Alan Mac Diarmid
• anthropologist Dame Anne Salmond
• composer Gareth Farr
• dancer Sir Jon Trimmer
• educationalists Dame Marie Clay, Dame Jean Herbison and Anne Meade
• Health and Disability Commissioner Ron Paterson
• historian Jamie Belich
• judges Sir Kenneth Keith and David Baragwanath
• Maori studies scholar Wiremu Kaa
• Member of Parliament David Cunliffe
• opera singers Iosefa Enari and Simon O'Neill
• playwright Roger Hall
• writers Bill Manhire, Joan Druett and Michael King.

Fulbright in New Zealand, a history by Fulbrighter Joan Druett can be found online at the New Zealand Electronic Text Centre

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Senator Fulbright