Walter Russell Mead

Ravenel B. Curry III Distinguished Fellow in Strategy and Statesmanship

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At A Glance:

Walter Russell Mead is the Ravenel B. Curry III distinguished fellow in strategy and statesmanship at Hudson Institute.

Research Associate
Andrew Wilson

Biography

Walter Russell Mead is the Ravenel B. Curry III Distinguished Fellow in Strategy and Statesmanship at Hudson Institute, the Alexander Hamilton Professor of Strategy and Statecraft with the Hamilton Center for Classical and Civic Education at the University of Florida, and the “Global View” columnist at the Wall Street Journal. From 1997 to 2010, Mr. Mead was a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, serving as the Henry A. Kissinger senior fellow for US foreign policy from 2003 until his departure. He is a member of Aspen Institute Italy.

His book, Special Providence: American Foreign Policy and How It Changed the World (Alfred A. Knopf, 2004), was widely hailed by reviewers, historians, and diplomats as an important study that will change the way Americans and others think about American foreign policy. Among several honors and prizes, Special Providence received the Lionel Gelber Award for best book in English on international relations in 2002. In 2012, the Foreign Policy Research Institute awarded him its Benjamin Franklin Prize for his work in the field of American foreign policy.

Mr. Mead’s book, God and Gold: Britain, America and the Making of the Modern World (Alfred A. Knopf, 2007), is a major study of 400 years of conflict between Anglophone powers and rivals ranging from absolute monarchies like Spain and France through Communist and Fascist enemies in the twentieth century to al-Qaeda today. The Washington Post and the Economist listed it as one of the best books of the year.

His most recent book, The Arc of A Covenant: The United States, Israel, and the Fate of the Jewish People (Alfred A. Knopf, 2022), is a bold history of the US-Israel relationship that examines the origins of American support for Israel and the relationship’s impact on past, present and future US policy. Mr. Mead discusses, among other things, the forgotten history of left-wing support for Zionism, the foundation of the state of Israel, the myth of the “Israel lobby” and the rise of the Sunbelt coalition in US politics.

Mr. Mead writes on a wide variety of subjects ranging from international affairs to religion, politics, culture, education and the media. He has contributed to a wide variety of leading American journals ranging from Mother Jones to GQ and frequently appears on national and international radio and television programs.

Mr. Mead is an honors graduate of Groton and Yale, where he received prizes for history, debate, and his translation of New Testament Greek. He has traveled widely in the Middle East, Asia, Europe, Africa, and Latin America, and often speaks at conferences in the United States and abroad. He is a founding board member of New America, and also serves on the board of Aspenia. He is a native of South Carolina and lives in Washington, DC.

Events
09
July 2024
Past Event
Postponed | Ro Khanna on America’s Foreign Policy Challenges
Featured Speakers:
Congressman Ro Khanna
Walter Russell Mead
Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA) speaks during a House Committee on Oversight and Reform hearing on June 8, 2022, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Andrew Harnik-Pool/Getty Images)
09
July 2024
Past Event
Postponed | Ro Khanna on America’s Foreign Policy Challenges

Join Hudson Distinguished Fellow Walter Russell Mead for a discussion with Representative Ro Khanna.

Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA) speaks during a House Committee on Oversight and Reform hearing on June 8, 2022, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Andrew Harnik-Pool/Getty Images)
Featured Speakers:
Congressman Ro Khanna
Walter Russell Mead
14
May 2024
Past Event
Motwani Jadeja US-India Dialogue Series | The Defining Partnership of the Twenty-First Century: US-India Relations
Featured Speakers:
Walter Russell Mead
Aparna Pande
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivers remarks during a joint press conference with US President Joe Biden at the White House on June 22, 2023, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
14
May 2024
Past Event
Motwani Jadeja US-India Dialogue Series | The Defining Partnership of the Twenty-First Century: US-India Relations

This event is part of the Motwani Jadeja US-India Dialogue.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivers remarks during a joint press conference with US President Joe Biden at the White House on June 22, 2023, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Featured Speakers:
Walter Russell Mead
Aparna Pande
08
May 2024
Past Event
The Future of the Atlantic Alliance with David Lammy and Jim Risch
Featured Speakers:
Rt Hon David Lammy
Senator James E. Risch
Walter Russell Mead
(Getty Images)
08
May 2024
Past Event
The Future of the Atlantic Alliance with David Lammy and Jim Risch

Walter Russell Mead, David Lammy, and Jim Risch discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the transatlantic community and the future of the special relationship.

(Getty Images)
Featured Speakers:
Rt Hon David Lammy
Senator James E. Risch
Walter Russell Mead
16
November 2023
Past Event
On War: Thucydides and Current Strategic Dilemmas | Policy Certificate Program
Featured Speakers:
Aaron MacLean
Walter Russell Mead
Rachel Mackey
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16
November 2023
Past Event
On War: Thucydides and Current Strategic Dilemmas | Policy Certificate Program

The Hudson Institute Political Studies Policy Certificate Program gathers talented early and mid-career professionals for advanced study of public policy and national security led by policy experts and experienced government officials.

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Featured Speakers:
Aaron MacLean
Walter Russell Mead
Rachel Mackey
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks at the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity foreign affairs track ministerial meeting in Washington, DC, on July 17, 2024. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)
Caption
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks at the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity foreign affairs track ministerial meeting in Washington, DC, on July 17, 2024. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)
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Ravenel B. Curry III Distinguished Fellow in Strategy and Statesmanship
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