David C. Hardesty, Jr., served as president of his undergraduate alma mater, West Virginia University, from 1995-2007. He also holds degrees from Oxford University and Harvard Law School. His presidency has been recognized for its student-centered initiatives and its commitment to West Virginia's economic development. Enrollment, research activity, and endowments also grew rapidly under his leadership.
Leading the Public University provides an account of the challenges faced by public higher education through the eyes of a man who spent over a decade as the head of a major public university. This compilation of essays, speeches, and articles written during the administration of David C. Hardesty, Jr., depicts the history of West Virginia University during the twelve-year period that he led from 1995-2007 while representing the communication tools he used to achieve cultural change and to advance the university's official agenda.