This year is an exciting one for the Aspen Institute as we celebrate our 75th anniversary.

It all began with our mid-century founder, Chicago industrialist Walter Paepcke, who believed that the world urgently needed “humanistic leaders who valued reason, knowledge, dialogue, culture, and moral inquiry.” In 1949, Paepcke and his wife Elizabeth brought together 3,000 global leaders for the Goethe Bicentennial in Aspen, Colorado, to explore how humanism could shape leadership and problem-solving in a post-war world. Their vision was clear: Address the uncertainty and challenges of the time through meaningful dialogue and deep, thoughtful engagement.

Over the past 75 years, the Aspen Institute has grown into a global convening and leadership organization with more than 60 programs and 13 international partners, connecting thousands annually through our programs, seminars, events, and fellowships. Our work spans key areas such as strengthening societal trust, expanding economic opportunity, engaging and inspiring the young, addressing climate and energy challenges, and fostering cross-generational leadership.

Walter and Elizabeth Paepcke’s belief in the transformative power of ideas, leadership, and dialogue continues to drive us today. As Walter once said, “The difficulty of our time is a difficulty of the human spirit.” These words remain our guiding light.

This year, we reflect on our progress, celebrate our impact, and look forward to the future with optimism and excitement. To mark this milestone, we’re debuting a new 75th anniversary logo, which you’ll begin to see across our social media, at events, and on our campuses in Aspen and Washington, D.C.

The Aspen Institute’s purpose and mission remain as relevant today as ever. Working together, we can and must continue our efforts to ignite human potential to build understanding and create new possibilities for a better world.

Dan Porterfield
President and CEO
Aspen Institute