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Last Friday, the Scholars had the opportunity to attend Dr. Steven Hayward’s seminar on two revered historical figures and his fascinating book on them, Greatness: Reagan, Churchill and the Making of Extraordinary Leaders. Dr. Hayward challenged us to ask ourselves what made Ronald Reagan and Winston Churchill, seemingly different in many ways and yet strikingly similar in their education and attitudes, such unique and successful statesmen. I was pleasantly surprised to find that many of Dr. Hayward’s points connected with themes we’ve been discussing in seminars and lectures all year.
Dr. Hayward began his seminar with question, what makes a true “statesman” in the first place? He discussed the importance of acting in a disciplined, deliberate and thought-through manner, both of which Reagan and Churchill did well. He also stressed the supreme imaginations of the two men and their inclinations to attack problems with creativity and unconventionality. Discipline and imagination are topics we have been addressing all year; even during our private session with Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, the Secretary spoke on the importance of presidents to exercise discipline while in office. Dr. Gregg’s maxim “imagination rules the world” that we’ve all heard many times rang in my head throughout our conversation about Reagan and Churchill’s inventive approaches to statesmanship.
The most remarkable parallel between Hayward’s seminar and themes we’ve heard throughout the year, however, had to be his statements about Reagan and Churchill’s educations. Neither attended a widely-known university or even stood out as an exceptional student. “George Bush had a Harvard MBA, Obama a Harvard law degree, and if Romney turns out to be our next president, he’ll have both,” Hayward remarked. But does this kind of education really make them better leaders?
Hayward explained that hat made both Reagan and Churchill unique was that they were self-taught—they were avid readers of challenging works including many histories, and from the material they formed their own unique ideas and opinions. This contributed both to their great understanding of history and policy as well as their unconventional ways of thinking.
I immediately thought of The Education of a Wandering Man by Louis L’Amour, the first book we were assigned as freshman coming into Orientation. The central message of the book tied in perfectly with Hayward’s conclusions about self-education and statesmanship: in order to learn, understand and educate yourself, read as much as you possibly can. Hayward’s seminar, with all of its connections to past discussions and its message about the importance of reading, was the perfect way to bring my experience as a freshman in the McConnell Center full circle. It was also a nice reminder that I have a lot of reading to do this summer.
- Paige Brewer, Class of 2015
Dr. Hayward began his seminar with question, what makes a true “statesman” in the first place? He discussed the importance of acting in a disciplined, deliberate and thought-through manner, both of which Reagan and Churchill did well. He also stressed the supreme imaginations of the two men and their inclinations to attack problems with creativity and unconventionality. Discipline and imagination are topics we have been addressing all year; even during our private session with Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, the Secretary spoke on the importance of presidents to exercise discipline while in office. Dr. Gregg’s maxim “imagination rules the world” that we’ve all heard many times rang in my head throughout our conversation about Reagan and Churchill’s inventive approaches to statesmanship.
The most remarkable parallel between Hayward’s seminar and themes we’ve heard throughout the year, however, had to be his statements about Reagan and Churchill’s educations. Neither attended a widely-known university or even stood out as an exceptional student. “George Bush had a Harvard MBA, Obama a Harvard law degree, and if Romney turns out to be our next president, he’ll have both,” Hayward remarked. But does this kind of education really make them better leaders?
Hayward explained that hat made both Reagan and Churchill unique was that they were self-taught—they were avid readers of challenging works including many histories, and from the material they formed their own unique ideas and opinions. This contributed both to their great understanding of history and policy as well as their unconventional ways of thinking.
I immediately thought of The Education of a Wandering Man by Louis L’Amour, the first book we were assigned as freshman coming into Orientation. The central message of the book tied in perfectly with Hayward’s conclusions about self-education and statesmanship: in order to learn, understand and educate yourself, read as much as you possibly can. Hayward’s seminar, with all of its connections to past discussions and its message about the importance of reading, was the perfect way to bring my experience as a freshman in the McConnell Center full circle. It was also a nice reminder that I have a lot of reading to do this summer.
- Paige Brewer, Class of 2015