"Democracy's Greatest Leaders: Abraham Lincoln and Winston Churchill" by Gleaves Whitney January 27, 2011

2011 will be a year of considerable reflection. It is the 70th anniversary of America's entry into World War II and the 150th anniversary of the outbreak of the Civil War. The extraordinary leaders of these horrific wars not only led their people to victory; they also helped shape our modern world. Many regard Abraham Lincoln and Winston Churchill as the two greatest democratic leaders of all time. Who really were these men? What obstacles did they overcome? How did they mobilize armies and the English language? Why do they endure in our collective imagination? In his talk, Gleaves Whitney will explore some answers to these questions.

Gleaves Whitney became director of Grand Valley State University's Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies in 2003. During his tenure he has been the architect of more than 275 public programs, including four national conferences covered by C-SPAN, and three internationally web cast debates -- one to more than 3,500 viewers in eighteen countries, and another watched on YouTube by more than 75,000 people in some 30 nations on all six inhabited continents. He has overseen tremendous growth of the Hauenstein Center's website, premiered a popular web column called Ask Gleaves -- the first presidential Q & A column in the nation -- and created a leadership academy for students and young professionals committed to public service.

Space is limited, please RSVP.

331-2770
www.allpresidents.org