schermer served as chairman of the national board of the smithsonian institution for three years and remains on the board as an honorary trustee. in 1994 he received the smithsonian's highest award, the joseph henry medal. he serves on the board of the anderson ranch art center in snowmass village, colorado as a life trustee, is a lifetime trustee of the aspen institute and the university of montana foundation, and is a former trustee of the aspen center for environmental studies, the world wildlife fund and the maureen and mike mansfield foundation.