Learn, Lead, Serve: A Civic Life

Thomas Ehrlich served in the federal administrations of six presidents, beginning with Kennedy in 1962. He was also Dean of Stanford Law School, Provost of the University of Pennsylvania, President of Indiana University, and one of the pioneers of the service-learning movement. Weaving together memorable family stories and valuable professional insights, Ehrlich tells how he developed the knowledge and skills to be a leader in both government and higher education, the lessons he learned in those roles, and the many ways he and his wife Ellen balanced family life and civic service along the way. Warmly written and brimming with fascinating, behind-the-scenes details, Learn, Lead, Serve is both a celebration of an accomplished career and an inspiring lodestar for those wanting to follow the path of public service.

Thomas Ehrlich was the 15th President of Indiana University. He is now President Emeritus, as well as former provost of the University of Pennsylvania and former dean of Stanford Law School. He was also the first president of the Legal Services Corporation in Washington, DC, and the first director of the International Development Cooperation Agency, reporting to President Carter. He is author, coauthor, or editor of more than a dozen nonfiction books, including Preparing Undergraduates for Business: Liberal Learning for Professional Education, which won the Ness Prize for the best book of the year on liberal education, and his first novel, The Search: An Insider’s Novel about a University President. Ehrlich lives Palo Alto, California.