Dr. Michael Nelson, professor of political science at Rhodes College and a recognized presidential scholar, has written a new book titled How College Presidents Succeed: Lessons in Leadership from Three Generations of Reveleys. It will be released April 8 by University of Virginia Press.
According to the publisher: In an era when college presidents serve for on average fewer than six years—leaving out of personal ambition for a next post or being forced to leave under fire—there is an inspirational counterexample of leaders dedicated to the long-term success of their institutions . . . Here are the lessons of three generations of college presidents from one family, the Reveleys, who have successfully led major colleges and universities across the commonwealth of Virginia for decades, an ongoing legacy unrivaled in modern American higher education.
Of those profiled in the book, Walter Taylor Reveley II taught at Rhodes College before becoming the 18th president of Hampden-Sydney College. He served from 1963 to 1977.
Walter Taylor Reveley III, who grew up in Memphis, became the 27th president of William & Mary in 2008.
Walter Taylor Reveley IV began his term as Longwood University’s 26th president in 2013.
At Rhodes, Nelson teaches courses on the American presidency, Southern politics, and the Constitutional Convention. He has published more than 30 books and 50 articles on the presidency, elections, Southern politics, and more.