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Brent Scowcroft has passed away. Irrespective of what one makes of his career, I want to acknowledge the influence he had on my career.
I was lucky to interview the General twice in the course of my dissertation. Even though I was no-name grad student, he took 2 hrs (!) to speak
I was lucky to interview the General twice in the course of my dissertation. Even though I was no-name grad student, he took 2 hrs (!) to speak
with me about his time in the Bush administration, to reflect on the Reagan admin, and to more generally remark on the role of scholarship in policymaking (remember, he had a PhD from Columbia). That interview played a major role in shaping my understanding of the Cold War's end.
Later, when I got my 1st job with the @BushSchool, we chatted as to what HE felt MA students needed to know to succeed in policy (his take: historical awareness, writing, and critical analysis - in that order).
Thinking that a guy who'd twice been NSA might know something about success in policy, I've tried to build on his guidance. In a roundabout way, my classes reflect his thinking, and all veterans of my courses bear his imprint.
As luck would have it, I also hosted General Scowcroft in my US foreign policy seminar during my 1st yr at @TAMU. If you think being a new prof is hard, try analyzing the Bosnia & Somalia interventions with the former National Security Advisor in the room (he was great!)
To put it simply, and separate from his policy work, he was a mensch as a person. RIP.
