General Anthony Zinni, the retired four-star Marine general, former commander-in-chief of the U.S. Central Command, and bestselling author, was in residence at the Law School on September 26 and 27 as the 2005 Carter O. Lowance Fellow in Law and Public Policy.

Click here to view General Zinni’s Lecture in .wmv format:  “America’s Role in a Changed World.”

In addition to the public lecture on the 26th, attended by more than 250 students, faculty, and members of the local community, Zinni was a guest speaker in comparative law and international law classes.  He also shared his thoughts on international affairs with faculty, staff and students over coffee and lunch, and met with student leaders and Army ROTC cadets for a discussion about leadership challenges. That evening, he was the honored guest at a dinner at the College’s historic Wren building.  On the second day of his visit, he met with students in the Public Policy Program and was the guest of honor at a reception at the Reves Center.

In remarks at the Wren dinner, Law School Dean Taylor Reveley noted that Zinni “has devoted a massive amount of time and energy to defending and strengthening the U.S. and to urging it to see reality and behave accordingly.” He noted that in his nearly 40-year military career, Zinni “rose brilliantly through the ranks” to the post of commander-in-chief of the U.S. Central Command.  Zinni, he said, has been nicknamed the “warrior diplomat” and, in 2002,  traveled to the Middle East as a special envoy for President Bush.

Dean Reveley read several passages to the audience from Zinni’s bestselling memoir Battle Ready (co-written with Tom Clancy). In the passages, Zinni wrote about his sense of belonging in the Marine Corps and the obligation to speak the truth, regardless of the ramifications to one’s career. The last passage read by the Dean contained Zinni’s observations on leadership and began with the simple statement, “You can’t lead unless you love those you lead.”

In closing, Dean Reveley quoted Tocqueville’s observation that “the health of a democratic society may be measured by the quality of functions performed by [individual citizens]. Zinni, he said, “in the language of William & Mary Law School, has been and remains a citizen soldier in the grand tradition.”

The Lowance fellowship honors the extraordinary contributions of the late Carter O. Lowance, who served as Chief of Staff to six Virginia governors and was Executive Vice President of the College of William & Mary. The fellowship, established in 1989, brings a distinguished public servant to campus each year for several days of lectures, discussions and meetings with students and members of the College community.

Click here to read more about General Zinni’s lecture.