A report of the 1981 Wingspread Conference, which sought remedies for the current low state of the humanities in American higher education, is presented. Participants included 60 college presidents, deans, faculty members, government officials, and business and foundation officials. Recommendations are as follows: (1) a collaborative effort should be taken to develop articulation of the humanities curriculum from the elementary to postsecondary level; (2) colleges and universities should review the quality of teaching in humanities in the general education component, and should encourage collaboration across the disciplines and the integration of education in the humanities on their campuses; and (3) colleges and universities should review graduate education in the humanities to determine how it can better prepare young scholars in the humanities for teaching careers in the undergraduate classroom as well as for continued research activities. Conference participants agreed that the ultimate value of the humanities, beyond their intrinsic value as a form of knowledge, is in the development of practical wisdom in private life as well as in the conduct of thoughtful membership in democratic society. The humanities can also strengthen the quality of the public, professional, and intellectual life. Participants considered that the current difficulties of the humanities result, in part, from the vast changes in higher education during the past 20 years. They also discussed the isolation of the humanities, the needs of current humanities faculty, and the need for connections between the humanities and the sciences, social sciences, career disciplines, and other curricula. (SW)