The Gulf: The Bush Presidencies and the Middle East

Acknowledgments

155 Acknowledgments Writing a book is, at times, a lonely process. It is easy to forget that the completion of a book takes more than one person and that while the actual writing can be lonely, you are never alone. I owe many debts to many people. Like many first books, this one began with my doctoral dissertation at the University of Virginia. My dissertation analyzed the decisions and worldview of the George H. W. Bush administration as the cold war came to an end. In many ways, this book is an extension of my earlier research. I owe much to the University of Virginia Department of Government and Foreign Affairs (now the Department of Politics) and my dissertation committee: Dr. Michael Joseph Smith, the director of the committee; Dr. David Newsom; Dr. James Ceasar; and Dr. Philip Zelikow. I would be remiss if I did not also mention Dr. Whittle Johnston, the first director of my dissertation committee; he died from cancer during the process, but I will never forget his guidance. In some ways, a dissertation does not begin in graduate school, and I owe an important debt to my undergraduate institution, the State University of New York College at Geneseo. The faculty members in the Department of Political Science were always supportive and encouraged me to pursue a graduate degree. Most significant was Dr. Bob Goeckel; Bob epitomizes the ideal of the teacher-scholar and he has served as my model both in and out of the classroom. For his friendship and mentorship, I am indebted to him. It would be thoughtless not to mention the many institutions involved in my career’s trajectory. They include Virginia Commonwealth University, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point, Georgetown College, and Transylvania University . I spent the first decade of the twenty-first century at Georgetown College. Georgetown financially supported some of my research on this project, including that at the George Bush Presidential Library at Texas 156 Acknowledgments A&M University. I am particularly indebted to Dr. Lindsey Apple, emeritus professor of history; Michael Taylor Rains, who accompanied me to the George Bush Presidential Library and assisted in the research process; and Thomas Brawner, who read some of the manuscript and offered his ideas. In 2010, I joined the faculty at Transylvania University in Lexington , Kentucky. I am thankful to my colleagues in the Division of Social Sciences and especially those in the Political Science Program for their support: Dr. Jeffrey Freyman and Dr. Don Dugi. I am thankful for our wonderful administrative assistant, Katie Banks, who provided assistance in the completion of this book. Dr. William Pollard, vice president and dean, has in many ways impacted my career more significantly than most. He hired me at Georgetown College in 2001 when he was Georgetown’s provost and hired me again at Transylvania University in 2010. I owe him a debt of gratitude for believing in a young scholar and taking another chance on me later in my career. I also thank the Dr. Byron and Judy Young Faculty Development Program for funding the completion of this project. Lastly, I thank the students at Transylvania who challenge me every day. My thanks also go to those associated with the George Bush Presidential Library in College Station, Texas. The Scowcroft Institute at Texas A&M University provided an O’Donnell travel grant to support my research at the library. Rebecca Sams and Thaddeus Romansky, archives technicians at the library, and Elizabeth Myers, an archivist, were extremely helpful in finding and identifying materials for research. A debt is also owed to the staff of the University Press of Kentucky. Steve Wrinn, the director, has offered guidance and encouragement since the beginning of this process. In addition, the many other staff members at UPK have always been helpful, especially Allison Webster, David Cobb, Robin DuBlanc, Cameron Ludwick, and Mack McCormick. I am also extremely grateful for the assistance of the press’s reviewers, who helped guide my revisions of the book. Finally, I wish to thank my family. My parents encouraged and supported my desire to pursue a PhD and developed in me the sense of critical thinking necessary to be a scholar. Most important, my bride, Carey, has been my rock throughout this process. She has lovingly cajoled me Acknowledgments 157 toward completion of the book and “edited” multiple drafts of the manuscript . Her love and support have made...