Doug Wead is a presidential historian, philanthropist and New York Times bestselling author. He was a special assistant to the president in the George Herbert Walker Bush White House.
For twenty years, Doug Wead has been researching and writing about the families of the American presidents. All the Presidents' Children, the first book in a massive ongoing trilogy on the first familes, was an instant New York Times bestseller. Released by Simon & Schuster's Atria Books in February, 2003, it went through three printings in its first month and reached number one at Amazon.com.
The Raising of a President was released by Simon & Schuster's Atria Books on January 4, 2005. This important and much anticipated work is the first book written on the subject of the presidents' parents. Mr. Wead is researching and writing a third book, A Leader Among Us, which will be the first historical account of the siblings of the American presidents.
Mr. Wead was born in Muncie, Indiana, May 17, 1946. He was raised in the home of an Assemblies of God minister and denominational leader. In 1972, he began writing about the Catholic Charismatic Movement. For several years he was a featured speaker at international, ecumenical events, and served as "unofficial liaison" between Catholics and Protestants in the emerging Charismatic Renewal.
Begining in 1974, Doug Wead became a popular motivational speaker at major corporate events. By 1990 he had repeatedly been the featured speaker to capacity, paid audiences at the largest venues in the world, from the Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis and the Georgia Dome in Atlanta to the Dortmund Center in Germany and Bercy in Paris, France. As of 2008, Wead continues his annual world tours, that have now taken him to hundreds of coliseums and soccer stadiums on four continents.
In 1979, Wead, Dan O'Neill and Pat Boone organized the first International Chairty Awards event. First Lady Rosalynn Carter hosted the guests in an East Room reception. The following year Mercy Corps was organized. Five First Ladies from Lady Bird Johnson to Nancy Reagan to Laura Bush have served as honorary chairpersons for the event. Mercy Corps has distributed more than $1.5 billion in food and medicine around the world.
Beginning in 1985, Doug Wead served as and advisor to then vice president George H. W. Bush and helped organize his presidential campaign.
In March, 1987 he reported directly to the son, George W. Bush and served as the campaign liaison to constituent groups. In the general campaign he was Deputy Director of Voter Coalitions and later served as Special Assistant to the President in the Bush Senior White House.
From 1997-2000, Mr. Wead served as an informal advisor to George W. Bush in the years leading up to his election as president. TIME magazine referred to him as the man who coined the phrase "compassionate conservative in 1982."
In the 1990's Doug Wead became involved in Arizona politics which included a successful campaign to change the state constitution, requiring a two thirds legislative majority for raising taxes. In 1992 he won the Republican nomination for congress, representing the 6th District. He ran as "a compasionate conservative" but lost in the general election to his Democratic opponent. It was the year of the Clinton landslide.
As a presidential historian Mr. Wead is a frequent guest on television shows. He has been interviewed by Matt Lauer on The Today Show, Bill O'Reilly of The O'Reilly Factor, Connie Chung on a CNN Special, Debra Norville on MSNBC and many others. He was interviewed by Dan Rather on The CBS Evening News the first night of the Gulf War. He has now written more than 27 books that have sold 7 million copies in 30 languages.
Doug Wead and his wife Myriam have five children, Shannon, Scott, Joshua, Chloe and Camille. They live in Virginia, outside of Washington, D. C.
"Doug Wead, your excellent service in government, at the White House, and in the private sector, leading the effort for famine relief in Africa and Asia, is a reminder that wherever we work, we can work to serve others"
- President Ronald Reagan
"Doug Wead is one of the most inspiring speakers, teachers, thinkers and writers of all time! I grow every time I hear him."
Mark Victor Hansen - Author, Chicken Soup for the Soul
Read about Doug Wead in Time Magazine
Read the Today Show Transcript
