The Commission on Presidential Scholars is a group of eminent private citizens appointed by the President to select and honor the Presidential Scholars. Commissioners are selected from across the country, representing the fields of education, medicine, law, social services, business, and other professions. The Commissioners make the difficult choices of selecting Scholars from an initial pool of approximately 2,600 candidates who demonstrate exceptional accomplishments in academics, the arts, and an outstanding commitment to public service.
Commissioners will be appointed by the Obama Administration in early 2009.