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Who We Are
American Friends, located in Washington, DC, was established in 1999 and is a tax-exempt nonprofit organization under section 501(c)(3) of the United States tax code. As the professional partner of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, American Friends seeks to promote academic cooperation between top-notch scientists and scholars from abroad and from Germany. The board of directors includes recipients of Humboldt Foundation grants and other individuals who share the goals of the Foundation.
American Friends’ activities are part of a long history of German-American intellectual exchange. The eminent German explorer and scientist, Alexander von Humboldt, visited the United States in 1804, at the end of his five-year research expedition and voyage of discovery through Latin America. He met with Thomas Jefferson in Washington, DC, and they discussed a broad range of topics, including their mutual interest in paleontology, the geography and economy of New Spain (which overlapped with the Louisiana Purchase), and possibly even the prospects for a canal between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Humboldt carried on a steady correspondence with Jefferson until the latter’s death two decades later. He retained an active interest in the new republic until his own death in 1859.
The logo of American Friends is based upon Humboldt's scientific representation of the mountain Chimborazo in Ecuador, a volcanic peak that Humboldt climbed during his explorations in Latin America. His observations of vegetation on the mountains led to his innovation of using isometric lines to represent the geography of plants at different elevations.
Amalgamation with the AvHAA
In December 2008, American Friends of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation joined forces with the Alexander von Humboldt Association of America (AvHAA), an independent non-profit membership organization for Humboldtians residing in the United States. The amalgamation of the two organizations has created a stronger foundation for representing the Foundation’s interests and for alumni networking among Humboldtians in the United States. As part of the amalgamation, the American Friends Board of Directors has created an Alumni Council. The Council, which is comprised of AvHAA members, organizes programs to develop and strengthen ties among Humboldtians and provide a voice for alumni in the United States.
American Friends raises funds for its activities and to support Foundation-related interests in the United States. Contributions from Humboldtians and from foundations, corporations, and individuals interested in international scholarly exchange may be in cash (check or money order), property (stocks, bonds, mutual funds, or real estate), or by bequest.
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