The Eastman School is grateful for the generous support and endowment of the Arts Leadership Certificate Program provided by The Catherine Filene Shouse Foundation. One of the most influential women of the 20th century, Mrs. Shouse was an adviser to 15 presidents, a visionary and dynamic advocate for humanitarian causes, and a generous benefactor of the arts. She was the first woman to receive a master of education degree from Harvard University, the first woman appointed to the National Democratic Committee, and the only woman in the 20th century to have been named Dame Commander of the British Empire and awarded the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom — the highest civilian awards in both Great Britain and the United States. Her book, Careers for Women, was first published in 1920, and she actively promoted career training and career opportunities throughout her life. When providing the endowment to the Eastman School of Music, Alice F. Emerson, President of the Shouse Foundation acknowledged that “to meet the needs of today’s complex world, our nation’s arts organizations need the talents of creative young people who understand the practical realities of the arts. Eastman’s Catherine Filene Shouse Arts Leadership Program prepares students for the challenges they’ll face.”