

James A. Johnson, chairman of the board of trustees of the Brookings Institution, announced Monday the establishment of the Michael H. Armacost Chair in Foreign Policy Studies, named for the retiring Brookings president. Johnson made the announcement at a dinner honoring Armacost.
“During his tenure at Brookings, Mike has combined a deep commitment to the fundamental mission of the Institution — producing the high caliber, nonpartisan analysis of emerging public policy problems and practical remedies for their solutions — with an equally firm commitment to innovation,” said Johnson. “Establishing this chair in his honor is a fitting tribute to Mike and his contributions to Brookings and his country.”
“I am deeply grateful for the generosity of the Brookings trustees, my friends, and colleagues for the endowment of this chair and its dedication to foreign policy analysis,” said Armacost, who leaves Brookings on June 30 after seven years as the Institution’s president.
The Armacost Chair will fund the research of a highly talented scholar in the Foreign Policy Studies program at Brookings, with an emphasis on Asia. The Armacost Chair scholar will be designated in the fall.
Armacost served as U.S. ambassador to Japan and the Philippines and undersecretary of State for political affairs before he assumed the Brookings presidency. At Brookings, he directed the broadening of the Brookings research agenda, the establishment of a number of specialized policy studies centers emphasizing interdisciplinary research, the diversification of publications, and the more active assertion of the Institution’s “convening power.” He recruited many highly respected scholars who typically possessed both impressive academic credentials and high-level government experience.
Norman Eisen, Fred Dews
February 13, 2025
Mara Karlin
February 12, 2025
Chinasa T. Okolo
February 12, 2025