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| Travis Wilson |
This year, fellow McConnell Scholar Connor Tracy and I have had the opportunity to serve as research assistants to Dr. Gary L. Gregg, Director of the McConnell Center. In addition to his work directing the McConnell Center, Dr. Gregg is also a prolific writer whose interests range from historical fiction (see The Sporran) to scholarly works on important historical figures. Generally, Dr. Gregg is able to research and reflect on the life of George Washington and is often asked to conduct inquiries on the qualities and experiences that play into the creation of, arguably, the greatest leader the United States has ever seen.
Connor and I were asked to scour documents and biographies for information regarding Washington’s magnanimity, farsightedness, humility, and other important leadership qualities. This has been a great exercise of our research and organizational skills as we have a large volume of information we to sift through. Many long hours have been spent poring over the 26,000 pages of official paperwork that Washington produced and received during his career, and much work is left to do, especially in the search for applicable secondary material.
Although it is intense work, I feel as if I am taking a break from the grind of normal classwork when researching. The material is incredibly interesting, and we are certainly motivated to meet deadlines as Dr. Gregg’s work is set to be published in the very near future. As a student of history I consider it a privilege to take a break from reading processed material and to be able to serve on the research and writing side of the process.
Travis Wilson, of Burlington, Ky., is a sophomore McConnell Scholar at the University of Louisville. He is studying political science and history.