Dr. Larry Donnithorne began his formal higher education at the United States Military Academy at West Point from which he graduated in 1966. He later earned master’s degrees in economics and civil engineering from Stanford University and his doctorate in education from Harvard University. Drawing upon his education and years of experience practicing leadership, Dr. Donnithorne has spoken to hundreds of audiences on the practice of good leadership and sound ethics. Describing inspirational exemplars of leadership from history and literature, he brings to life the principles of ethical leadership and stimulates his audiences to think in fresh ways about timeless ideas and the important choices confronting people who really want their lives to count for something.
Dr. Donnithorne’s years of military service after West Point led him initially into leadership positions within the Army Corps of Engineers. At age 22, he led a 150-man unit in the construction of bridges and airfields in the active combat zone of Vietnam. He later served in the management of engineering projects in peacetime in Korea and the US. For many years he maintained an active registration as a Professional Engineer.
His career gradually shifted more heavily into education, beginning with an appointment in 1976 to teach at West Point. He continued there both in teaching and in administration for thirteen years, teaching courses in three disciplines: economics, the psychology of leadership, and moral philosophy.
Following the conclusion of his military service in 1993, Dr. Donnithorne served for more than five years as president of a state-supported community college in North Carolina. He then moved to the presidency of Colorado Christian University in the suburbs west of Denver in July, 1998. Retiring from that role in August, 2006, he continues to teach ethics and leadership at Colorado Christian University, Denver Seminary, and elsewhere in the US and abroad.
Among Dr. Donnithorne’s publications is a book titled The West Point Way of Leadership: From Learning Principled Leadership to Practicing It, released by Doubleday/Currency in 1994. A book review appearing in the Harvard Business Review concluded that “the West Point model of leadership is a fascinating and insightful one, one that Donnithorne presents modestly, carefully, and convincingly….The philosophy that underlies it … is based on moral principle, timeless values, and the leader’s selfless commitment to others.”
Drawing upon his education and years of experience practicing leadership, Dr. Donnithorne has spoken to hundreds of audiences on the practice of good leadership and sound ethics. Describing inspirational exemplars of leadership from history and literature, he brings to life the principles of ethical leadership and stimulates his audiences to think in fresh ways about timeless ideas and the important choices confronting people who really want their lives to count for something.
