List of Guggenheim Fellowships awarded in 1986
List of Guggenheim Fellowships awarded in 1986 have been awarded annually since 1925, by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts."
| Fellow | Category | Field of Study |
| Elihu Abrahams | Natural Sciences | Physics |
| Pere Alberch | Natural Sciences | Organismic Biology & Ecology |
| John A. Alford | Humanities | Medieval Literature |
| John Algeo | Humanities | Linguistics |
| Harry R. Allcock | Natural Sciences | Chemistry |
| Terry Allen | Creative Arts | Fine Arts |
| Paul D. Allison | Social Sciences | Sociology |
| Max Apple | Creative Arts | Fiction |
| W. John Archer | Humanities | Architecture, Planning, & Design |
| Karole Armitage | Creative Arts | Choreography |
| Daniel Asia | Creative Arts | Music Composition |
| Oswaldo Baffa-Filho | Natural Sciences | Applied Physics |
| John Baldessari | Creative Arts | Fine Arts |
| Stephen A. Barney | Humanities | Medieval Literature |
| Rodney J. Bartlett | Chemistry | |
| Richard T. Beckett | Fine Arts | |
| Sally Belfrage | General Nonfiction | |
| James Benning | Creative Arts | Film |
| Laird W. Bergad | Iberian & Latin American History | |
| Adele Berlin | Religion | |
| John William Birks | Science Writing | |
| Judith B. Black | Creative Arts | Photography |
| Ann Merchant Boesgaard | Astronomy—Astrophysics | |
| Thomas R. Bohnert | Fine Arts | |
| George Bornstein | English Literature | |
| Alfredo Bosi | Latin American Literature | |
| Steven Brams | Social Sciences | Political Science |
| Sarah Broadie | Philosophy | |
| Richard H. Brodhead | English Literature | |
| David L. Bromwich | Literary Criticism | |
| Judith C. Brown | Renaissance History | |
| Neal C. Brown | Molecular & Cellular Biology | |
| Suzanne Shelton Buckley | Dance Studies | |
| Sanford Budick | English Literature | |
| Rafael Cadenas | Poetry | |
| James D. Callen | Physics | |
| Alan Cameron | Classics | |
| Barry K. Carpenter | Chemistry | |
| John W. Cell | British History | |
| James Chace | U.S. History | |
| Moses Hung-Wai Chan | Physics | |
| Eric David Chasalow | Creative Arts | Music Composition |
| Wah Chiu | Molecular & Cellular Biology | |
| Petra ten-Doesschate Chu | Fine Arts Research | |
| Katerina Clark | Russian History | |
| John H. Coatsworth | Iberian & Latin American History | |
| Paul A. Cohen | East Asian Studies | |
| John C. Collins | Physics | |
| Walter D. Connor | Political Science | |
| Joseph Connors | Fine Arts Research | |
| Robin H. Cooper | Linguistics | |
| Alfred Corn | Poetry | |
| Fernando Morgan de Aguiar Correa | Neuroscience | |
| Cathy N. Davidson | American Literature | |
| Diane W. Davidson | Organismic Biology & Ecology | |
| Guy F. J. de Téramond | Physics | |
| David W. Deamer | Organismic Biology & Ecology | |
| Joan E. DeJean | French Literature | |
| Daniel C. Dennett | Philosophy | |
| Jed Devine | Creative Arts | Photography |
| Jonathan Stewart Dewald | French History | |
| John Divola | Creative Arts | Photography |
| Charlotte Douglas | Fine Arts Research | |
| Alicia Dujovne Ortiz | Fiction | |
| Christopher N. Duncan | Fine Arts | |
| Diana L. Eck | South Asian Studies | |
| J. M. Edelstein | Bibliography | |
| Ellery Thomas Eells | Philosophy | |
| Michelle Ekizian | Creative Arts | Music Composition |
| Yaffa Eliach | Humanities | German & East European History |
| Thomas Chadbourne Emmel | Natural Sciences | Organismic Biology & Ecology |
| Paz Errázuriz Körner | Creative Arts | Photography |
| Garth Evans | Creative Arts | Fine Arts |
| Drew Gilpin Faust | Humanities | U.S. History |
| David L. Featherman | Social Sciences | Sociology |
| Timothy Ferris | Natural Sciences | Science Writing |
| Graham R. Fleming | Natural Sciences | Chemistry |
| George P. Fletcher | Social Sciences | Law |
| Bill Fontana | Creative Arts | Fine Arts |
| Alban Forcione | Humanities | Spanish & Portuguese Literature |
| John G. Forte | Natural Sciences | Molecular & Cellular Biology |
| Edward Friedman | Social Sciences | Political Science |
| Harvey M. Friedman | Natural Sciences | Mathematics |
| Alice Fulton | Creative Arts | Poetry |
| John Lewis Gaddis | U.S. History | |
| Juan Carlos Garavaglia | Iberian & Latin American History | |
| Angel J. García Zambrano | Anthropology & Cultural Studies | |
| Gary Giddins | Folklore & Popular Culture | |
| Lila M. Gierasch | Molecular & Cellular Biology | |
| Paul Glabicki | Creative Arts | Film |
| Rona Goffen | Fine Arts Research | |
| Mary Helen M. Goldsmith | Plant Sciences | |
| Richard Gordon | Creative Arts | Film |
| Carlos Gorriarena | Fine Arts | |
| Dustin H. Griffin | English Literature | |
| Alan D. Grinnell | Neuroscience | |
| Keith E. Gubbins | Chemistry | |
| Andrés Guerrero | Sociology | |
| Germán Gullón | Spanish & Portuguese Literature | |
| David C. Hammack | U.S. History | |
| Peter J. Hammond | Economics | |
| Ronald M. Harris-Warrick | Neuroscience | |
| Lynn Ann Hasher | Psychology | |
| Thomas L. Haskell | U.S. History | |
| R. H. Helmholz | Law | |
| Frank P. Herrera | Creative Arts | Photography |
| Hans J. Herrmann | Physics | |
| Gary Hill | Video & Audio | |
| Jan S. Hogendorn | Economic History | |
| Heloisa Buarque de Hollanda | Film, Video, & Radio Studies | |
| Mark H. Holmes | Applied Mathematics | |
| James Hoopes | U.S. History | |
| James S. House | Sociology | |
| Paul L. Houston | Natural Sciences | Chemistry |
| Ronnie Po-chia Hsia | German & East European History | |
| Thomas P. Hughes | History of Science & Technology | |
| Josephine Humphreys | Fiction | |
| Jean Eichelberger Ivey | Creative Arts | Music Composition |
| Raúl Jacob | Iberian & Latin American History | |
| Mark Jacobs | Plant Sciences | |
| Susan Jacoby | General Nonfiction | |
| Richard C. M. Janko | Classics | |
| Robert L. Jeanne | Organismic Biology & Ecology | |
| Denis Hale Johnson | Poetry | |
| Vaughan F.R. Jones | Mathematics | |
| Victor Kac | Mathematics | |
| Andrés José Kálnay | Physics | |
| Joel E. Keizer | Chemistry | |
| Carlos E. Kenig | Mathematics | |
| William Kerrigan | English Literature | |
| David I. Kertzer | Anthropology & Cultural Studies | |
| Nicholas M. Kiefer | Economics | |
| Jonathan King | Molecular & Cellular Biology | |
| John T. Kirk | Folklore & Popular Culture | |
| Susan Kirkpatrick | Spanish & Portuguese Literature | |
| Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett | Folklore & Popular Culture | |
| Joe Klein | General Nonfiction | |
| Andrew H. Knoll | Natural Sciences | Organismic Biology & Ecology |
| Joel Kovel | Intellectual & Cultural History | |
| Robert L. Kuttner | Creative Arts | General Nonfiction |
| David A. Lane | Statistics | |
| Jill H. Larkin | Computer Science | |
| Ann Lauterbach | Poetry | |
| Gerald S. Lazarus | Medicine & Health | |
| John P. LeDonne | Russian History | |
| Marjorie B. Levinson | English Literature | |
| Frank Levy | Economics | |
| David Levering Lewis | U.S. History | |
| Peirce F. Lewis | Geography & Environmental Studies | |
| Glenn Lieberman | Music Composition | |
| Albert Edward Litherland | Physics | |
| Anthony A. Long | Classics | |
| Alvin D. Loving | Fine Arts | |
| Luis Eduardo Luna | Plant Sciences | |
| Murli H. Manghnani | Earth Science | |
| Leah S. Marcus | English Literature | |
| Juan Carlos Martini | Fiction | |
| William M. Mason | Sociology | |
| Timothy Materer | American Literature | |
| David Maybury-Lewis | Anthropology & Cultural Studies | |
| David McCullough | U.S. History | |
| Wesley McNair | Poetry | |
| Ernesto A. Medina | Plant Sciences | |
| Leopoldo de Meis | Molecular & Cellular Biology | |
| Wallace K. Melville | Applied Mathematics | |
| Edward Mendelson | English Literature | |
| Anthony J. Merer | Chemistry | |
| Mario Milanca Guzmán | Music Research | |
| William Miles | Creative Arts | Film |
| Paul R. Milgrom | Economics | |
| George A. Miller | Psychology | |
| Marlui Miranda Santilli | Music Research | |
| Mary Miss | Fine Arts | |
| Sylvia Molloy | Latin American Literature | |
| Juan Roberto Mora Catlett | Creative Arts | Film |
| Mark Morris | Creative Arts | Choreography |
| Karl F. Morrison | Medieval History | |
| Martin Moskovits | Chemistry | |
| Gwynn Murrill | Fine Arts | |
| Suzanne Nash | Humanities | French Literature |
| Ei-ichi Negishi | Natural Sciences | Chemistry |
| John F. Nims | Poetry | |
| Glyn P. Norton | Humanities | French Literature |
| Melvin Robert Novick | Social Sciences | Psychology |
| Mark P. O'Donnell | Creative Arts | Drama & Performance Art |
| Diana O'Hehir | Creative Arts | Fiction |
| Enrique Oliver | Creative Arts | Film |
| Stephen L. Olsen | Natural Sciences | Physics |
| Janet Oppenheim | Humanities | British History |
| Oscar Oszlak | Social Sciences | Political Science |
| Stephen Owen | Humanities | East Asian Studies |
| Ron Padgett | Poetry | |
| Don N. Page | Astronomy—Astrophysics | |
| Irma Palacios Flores | Fine Arts | |
| Richard G. Palmer | Physics | |
| Peter C. Papademetriou | Architecture, Planning, & Design | |
| Peter Parnell | Drama & Performance Art | |
| Charles D. Parsons | Philosophy | |
| Daphne Patai | English Literature | |
| Robert Pattison | English Literature | |
| Alberto Pérez | Fine Arts Research | |
| William Richard Peltier | Earth Science | |
| Richard Pevear | French Literature | |
| Mario Alberto Pisarev | Medicine & Health | |
| E. Ward Plummer | Physics | |
| Stephen Posen | Fine Arts | |
| David L. Quint | Humanities | Literary Criticism |
| Janice A. Radway | American Literature | |
| Jeffrey K. Riegel | East Asian Studies | |
| James C. Riley | Economic History | |
| Gene I. Rochlin | Political Science | |
| Robert H. Rodgers | Classics | |
| Judith Rodin | Psychology | |
| Edgardo Rodríguez Juliá | Fiction | |
| Edward H. Roesner | Music Research | |
| Art Rogers | Creative Arts | Photography |
| Abraham Rosman | Anthropology & Cultural Studies | |
| Francisco Rothhammer | Molecular & Cellular Biology | |
| William T. Rowe | East Asian Studies | |
| Paula G. Rubel | Anthropology & Cultural Studies | |
| David Salle | Fine Arts | |
| Richard Salomon | South Asian Studies | |
| Gillian Sankoff | Linguistics | |
| Nancy Scheper-Hughes | Anthropology & Cultural Studies | |
| Gjertrud Schnackenberg | Poetry | |
| Robert W. Schrier | Medicine & Health | |
| James A. Schultz | German & Scandinavian Literature | |
| Peter Schumann | Theatre Arts | |
| Philip A. Schwartzkroin | Neuroscience | |
| Allen J. Scott | Geography & Environmental Studies | |
| Allan Sekula | Photography Studies | |
| Vikram Seth | Poetry | |
| Deborah Shaffer | Creative Arts | Film |
| Glenn S. Silber | Creative Arts | Film |
| Theodora Skipitares | Drama & Performance Art | |
| Tom Sleigh | Poetry | |
| Paul Slovic | Psychology | |
| David Small | Fiction | |
| Gerald Stanton Smith | Slavic Literature | |
| Robert Stam | Film, Video, & Radio Studies | |
| Nancy Leys Stepan | Iberian & Latin American History | |
| Bill Stephens | Video & Audio | |
| May Stevens | Fine Arts | |
| Susan A. Stewart | Folklore & Popular Culture | |
| Philippa Strum | Political Science | |
| Steven Stucky | Music Composition | |
| Anne O'Neill Summers | Molecular & Cellular Biology | |
| Timothy Tackett | Humanities | French History |
| Richard F. Taruskin | Humanities | Music Research |
| Michael B. Teitz | Humanities | Architecture, Planning, & Design |
| Judith Jarvis Thomson | Humanities | Philosophy |
| Charles B. Thorn | Natural Sciences | Physics |
| John H. Thow | Humanities | Music Composition |
| Jennifer Tipton | Humanities | Theatre Arts |
| Matthew Tirrell | Natural Sciences | Engineering |
| Mark Traugott | Social Sciences | Sociology |
| M. G. Trend | Social Sciences | Anthropology & Cultural Studies |
| James W. Truman | Natural Sciences | Organismic Biology & Ecology |
| Niccolò Tucci | Creative Arts | Fiction |
| Michael Turelli | Natural Sciences | Organismic Biology & Ecology |
| Henry M. Van Driel | Natural Sciences | Applied Mathematics |
| JoAnn Verburg | Creative Arts | Photography |
| Jeffrey Vitter | Natural Sciences | Computer Science |
| Virginia Walbot | Natural Sciences | Plant Sciences |
| Alan C. Walker | Social Sciences | Anthropology & Cultural Studies |
| William B. Walters | Natural Sciences | Chemistry |
| James C. Wang | Natural Sciences | Molecular & Cellular Biology |
| Julia R. Weertman | Natural Sciences | Applied Mathematics |
| Theodore R. Weiss | Creative Arts | Poetry |
| Lawrence Weschler | Creative Arts | General Nonfiction |
| Christopher C. Widnell | Natural Sciences | Molecular & Cellular Biology |
| James Wilcox | Creative Arts | Fiction |
| Alan Wilde | Humanities | American Literature |
| August Wilson | Creative Arts | Drama & Performance Art |
| David Sloan Wilson | Natural Sciences | Organismic Biology & Ecology |
| Walter Keith Winslow | Creative Arts | Music Composition |
| Tibor I. Wlassics | Humanities | Italian Literature |
| Philip Wofford | Creative Arts | Fine Arts |
| Peter Guy Wolynes | Natural Sciences | Chemistry |
| Al Wong | Creative Arts | Film |
| Wing Hung Wong | Natural Sciences | Statistics |
| Charles T. Wood | Humanities | Medieval History |
| Janet Louise Yellen | Social Sciences | Economics |
| Victor Jaime Yohai | Natural Sciences | Mathematics |
| Elisabeth Young-Bruehl | Creative Arts | Biography |
| Jan M. Ziolkowski | Humanities | Medieval Literature |
| Olivier Zunz | Humanities | U.S. History |
| Robert B. Zurier | Natural Sciences | Medicine & Health |