In the aftermath of World War II, President Harry Truman convened a presidential commission on the role of American colleges and universities. Truman wanted to explore the potential for higher education to “strengthen democracy,” he said. The commission was significant in that it was the first presidential commission on education in American history, and it resulted in a thick report titled “Higher Education for American Democracy.” The report concluded that “the first and most essential charge upon higher education is that at all levels and in its fields of specialization, it shall be the carrier of democratic values, ideals, and process.”