Gleaves Whitney has been the director of Grand Valley State University's Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies since July 2003. Effective September 1, 2020 he will become the Executive Director of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation. He has authored or edited 15 books. Whitney is also a senior scholar at the Center for the American Idea in Houston, Texas, the first senior fellow at the Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal, a member of the college of fellows at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology, Berkeley, a member of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library's Leadership Development Committee, and a scholar with the Wyoming Catholic College committee of advisors. His work has appeared on blogs and in numerous newspapers, magazines, and journals.
Prior to his arrival at Grand Valley State University, Whitney worked 11 years in Michigan Governor John Engler's administration, serving seriatim as senior writer, chief speechwriter, and historian. In 1993, the governor assigned him to a task force that helped bring sweeping education and school finance reforms to Michigan that The New York Times called "the most dramatic in the nation."
Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies
Since Whitney became the director of the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies in 2003, the Center has experienced tremendous growth. "Gleaves Whitney is a real treasure for those of us who do presidential studies and work in the field of presidential history," said award-winning biographer H. W. Brands. "He’s also one of the most effective entrepreneurs in the business of higher education," he continued. "You can tell this by the growth in the Hauenstein Center over the years that he’s been the director." "Gleaves Whitney and his energetic team at the Hauenstein Center have become, in a remarkably short time, a force to reckon with -- and learn from -- in the presidential studies field," said historian Richard Norton Smith. "The Hauenstein Center is a jewel in the crown of Michigan." Whitney has been the architect of more than 500 programs, including numerous national conferences covered by C-SPAN and one webcast—Hitchens vs. Hitchens—that was seen in real time to more than 3,500 viewers in 18 countries. He has overseen tremendous growth of the Hauenstein Center's website, which has had more than 25 million visitors, and premiered a popular web column called Ask Gleaves—the first presidential Q & A in the nation. He has also created a leadership academy for students and young professionals committed to public service. Its aim is to turn learners into leaders who can make a difference in their communities. President Gerald R. Ford said, “I am pleased with the extremely successful partnership between the Ford Presidential Library and Museum, the Ford Foundation, and the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies. The Hauenstein Center is making its mark with creative programs that help Americans see beyond the headlines. I’m delighted with the work Gleaves Whitney and his dedicated staff are doing to increase our understanding of courageous, effective leadership. It is especially rewarding to work with a presidential leadership center so closely associated with my good friend, Ralph Hauenstein, who is an inspiring example of a life well lived.”
Partnerships
In his current position as director of the Hauenstein Center, Gleaves has been entrepreneurial, cultivating many institutional partnerships—e.g., the National Park Service, Houston Museum of Natural Science, and the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum—as well as numerous ongoing professional partnerships—e.g., H. W. Brands, Richard Norton Smith, William Barker, and George Nash.
Other fields
In addition to his public work, Whitney is a scholar who writes and lectures nationally on a variety of historical topics. He is author or editor of fifteen books including most recently "Religion and the American Presidency, 3rd ed." and "Religion and the Bush Presidency." Other books include "" "John Engler: The Man, the Leader & the Legacy;" and 6 volumes of Messages of the Governors of Michigan.
Selected works
Testing the Limits: George W. Bush and the Imperial Presidency
