This book sheds light on how presidents conduct the influence and power of their office, especially in the use of their pulpits, how they navigate issues of political correctness, and how they hold the center of the university together, in contentious times and against competing ideological forces.

Stephen J. Nelson is assistant professor of educational leadership at Bridgewater State College, Massachusetts, and is a senior scholar in the Leadership Alliance at Brown University.

Chapter 2 Introduction Part 3 Presidential Leadership: Navigating Climate and Challenges Part 4 The Contest for the Middle: Can the Center Hold? Part 5 The Present and the Future: Presidential Prospects Chapter 6 A Coda: Creeds and Character