Dr. Harry S. Laver Bio

Dr. Harry S. Laver of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth will be giving our January 2020 program titled: “Genesis of Command: The Leadership Origins of Ulysses S. Grant.”

Ulysses S. Grant is typically considered one of the great generals of the Civil War, if not one of the best in American history. He won a succession of critical battles, defeated Robert E. Lee, and was a leader of unremitting determination. Nevertheless, he was not born a great commander and in his early battles he made a number of significant mistakes. Rather than being blessed with an innate ability to command, Grant had to learn the art of command. A look at Grant’s earliest battles reveals how he developed his leadership through experience, mentoring, and a conscious and deliberate effort to improve, to become by war’s end the victor at Appomattox and the architect of Union victory.

Dr. Laver was Professor of History and Political Science at Southeastern Louisiana University and is a Fulbright Scholar awardee. He received a BA in zoology from the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill in 1983, an MA in history from the University of North Carolina - Charlotte in 1992, and a PhD in history from the University of Kentucky in 1998. Dr. Laver wrote the books titled: The Leadership of Ulysses S. Grant: A General Who Will Fight and The Art of Command: Military Leadership from George Washington to Colin Powell.