Praeger Leaders in the Crucible: The Moral Voice of College Presidents

Regardless of the pressures and problems confronting colleges and universities today, they can ill afford to assume that the only essential qualities of those chosen to be presidents are their abilities to be sound managers, institutional developers, and public relations experts. Nelson argues that college presidents must possess the capacity to use the presidential pulpit as moral leaders. Presidents are profiled as leaders who shape student character, lead campus communities, and are in the forefront of issues critical to education. From this vantage point, we can better examine the moral beliefs at the core of colleges and universities, understand and appreciate moral leadership in higher education, and consider the foundations and future of the presidency. Review "I am pleased to see such a book as Leaders in the Crucible: The Moral Voice of College Presidents get onto bookshelves. I am also pleased to note the author's observation that the notion of presidents as moral voices is making a comeback....Dr. Nelson dug deep in reporting on the philosophies and utterances of some remarkable leaders. Let us hope that the 21st century will see more presidents regain their rightful place as thoughtful leaders who regularly share their wisdom with the others as we search for guidance and meaning in our lives."-William F. Brazziel Professor Emeritus of Higher Education University of Connecticut "Nelson lets us watch how his presidents confront the major issues of their day--religion, racial justice, freedom of speech, equal opportunity. Their courage speaks to us today and offers the hope that the academy will fulfill its crucial role as critic and moral example."-Zelda F. Gamson Senior Associate New England Resource Center for Higher Education "The American public has great expectations of the presidents of its universities and colleges.... Here is a book that reminds us all of the importance of this role."-Frank Newman Visiting Professor of Public Policy and American Institutions Brown University "This book should serve as an inspiration to all of our colleagues, as they assess how they can use the bully pulpit' of the presidency to help make our world a better place."-John DiBiaggio President Tufts University "Until supporting bodies determine that they want a moral voice in the presidential chair and seek a president who has evinced a moral stance that they can and will support, moral voices in college presidencies will not be as common as Steve Nelson convincingly argues they must be."-William W. Jellema Professor of Higher Education Administration Emeritus The University of Connecticut About the Author STEPHEN JAMES NELSON is Research Associate, Education Department, Brown University./e