Historian David McCullough spoke at two events on campus Sept. 19 before delivering the Baird Pulitzer Prize Lecture. Details...
At a press conference at Elon University Wednesday afternoon, historian David McCullough drew comparisons between George W. Bush and Harry S. Truman. Both presidents were underestimated and came in knowing little about foreign relations, the Pulitzer-Prize winning author of Truman said.
“Leadership is a gift that comes in all forms, and one of the lessons of history is that you never know,” McCullough said. “One of the great things about Harry Truman is that he never tried to be like somebody else.”
As for Bush, McCullough is pleased with how the president is handling the current terrorist crisis. “Certainly if history is a guide, he probably has more fiber, more strength and more stamina than we know,” he said.
McCullough has no doubt the country will weather the current storm. “I don’t think we should ever feel that our spirits are crushed,” he said. “There’s no question in my mind that we will come through this. We will prevail.”
McCullough said that Americans should be realistic and responsible when weighing security threats and civil liberties. “We’ve never faced the reality that we might not be safe on our own soil,” he said. Unlike the attacks on Sept. 11, Pearl Harbor was a military target without the “extraordinary imagery to bring home the horror,” McCullough explained.
Earlier in the day, McCullough met with students, faculty and staff for a question-and-answer session in Whitley Auditorium. He said his career as an author and historian began when couldn’t find an accurate book about the Johnstown flood in the library. So he wrote one. 
“I knew immediately that was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life,” he said.
When asked about his choice of subjects, McCullough said the process is like choosing a roommate, so he only writes about those he admires. With Truman and John Adams, he said he wanted to give credit where credit is due.
McCullough still uses a manual typewriter to compose his works, and some have suggested he get a word processor. “I don’t want to go faster,” he said. “If anything, I want to go slower.” Diversions such as family, research, travel, and TV and speaking engagements keep writing from being lonely. “I love what I do, and every day is a gift,” he said.
McCullough told the crowd his next project will be on about the Spirit of 1776. “It’s a great, great story,” he said. George Washington’s two victories after crossing the Delaware changed the whole morale of the country overnight, he said. “You talk about having the odds against you. That was the truth of the moment.”