Dive Brief:

• President Barack Obama has handwritten an apology to a professor who contacted the White House after she was offended by his dig at art history majors in a speech last month.
• Last month Obama said: "Folks can make a lot more potentially with skilled manufacturing or the trades than they might with an art history degree."
• Prof. Ann Collins Johns at the University of Texas at Austin received a note that first apologized and went on to read in part: "I was trying to encourage young people who may not be predisposed to a four year college experience to be open to technical training that can lead them to an honorable career."

Dive Insight:

The White House emailed a scanned copy of the note to the professor and let her know the original would be coming by mail shortly. The professor made it clear that she was an Obama supporter and posted on her Facebook profile: "What I did NOT expect is that THE MAN HIMSELF would write me an apology. So now I’m totally guilty about wasting his time."