Here's where it all started - Washington D.C. The Fulbright Program was established in 1946 under legislation introduced by then Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas. The Fulbright Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. Here I am in Washington in June 2009 for an orientation. Here you can't see my fun daughter, Meghan, who was also on a bicycle, nor my wife, who was back at the hotel. If you are an academic or a student, you should think about applying for a Fulbright award.