“During his eight years as a trustee,” said Murphy, “Andy has been involved in virtually every aspect of the board's activities—always on call, always collaborative, always available to offer insight and knowledge—and has demonstrated time and again that wisdom goes hand in hand with collegiality and a sense of humor.”
Amherst College President Biddy Martin said, “Andy’s experience on the board, love of the College, wit, and generosity make him a wonderful choice as board chair. I look forward to working with him. On behalf of the entire community, I also express my profound thanks to Cullen Murphy for his extraordinary service as chair.”
Nussbaum was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2010 and appointed a term trustee in 2016. He is a partner in the law firm of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz in New York, where he specializes in mergers and acquisitions, cross-border transactions and corporate governance. He also has extensive experience with international companies and in the media and entertainment areas. Nussbaum joined the firm in 1993 and became a partner in 1999.
“If I am well-prepared for this new role, which it is a privilege to accept, my Amherst education itself has made it so,” offered Nussbaum. “The unwavering commitment to integrity, robust inquiry and openness to dialogue and disagreement so fundamental to the Amherst liberal arts education, past and present, not only matters but is essential. We go forward with strength, thanks to Cullen, Biddy and our impactful faculty, staff, students and alumni.”
Nussbaum was a Russian major at Amherst, a varsity swimmer and a summa cum laude graduate. He earned a master’s degree from Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship, and later a law degree from the University of Chicago. He was a law clerk to Ruth Bader Ginsburg in 1991- 92 while she was on the U.S. Court of Appeals, and to the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia in 1992-93.
Nussbaum previously served on the Board of Governors of the Folger Shakespeare Library and currently serves as board chair of the nonprofit Asphalt Green, which offers sports, fitness and wellness activities for more than 50,000 children in New York City public schools, as well as adults in need. He lives in Manhattan with his wife, Darcy Miller Nussbaum, and their three daughters.
Amherst College prepares students to use ideas to make a difference in the world. Since its 1821 founding in Western Massachusetts, Amherst has demonstrated steadfast confidence in the value of the liberal arts and the importance of critical thinking. Today, its financial aid program is among the most substantial in the nation, and its student body is among the most diverse. Small classes, an open curriculum and a singular focus on undergraduate education ensure that leading scholars engage daily with talented, curious students, equipping them for leadership in an increasingly global and complex world.