| The 104th Congress of the United States and presidents of select U.S. colleges and universities were surveyed to ascertain who the formative national leaders in American Public Administration were, in the one hundred years from 1887 to 1987, and why. A third group was surveyed as a control. A simple survey instrument was designed. The response received was modest, but adequate. Nominations totalled 88, of which 35 were for former U.S. Presidents. Congress selected Ronald Reagan and the colleges Franklin D. Roosevelt, as the quintessential leaders of the 100-year period. Reagan garnered support from senate, house, and university, while Roosevelt received support only from the college sector. Reagan was the acknowledged leader of choice in this survey. Stewardship, leadership, and service are presented as fundamental to such personages. The Biblical Joseph and William Jennings Bryan are cited as personifying such qualities. |
