Lawyer, author shares presidential insights at MSU

Contact: James Carskadon

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Dallas-based author and attorney Talmage Boston shared insights from dozens of prominent historians and White House insiders he has interviewed about U.S. presidents during a Thursday [Sept. 15] event at Mississippi State University.

Boston interviewed leading biographers and former presidential staff members of 20 presidents for his new book, “Cross-Examining History: A Lawyer Gets Answers From the Experts About Our Presidents,” published earlier this month by Houston-based Bright Sky Press. He discussed his new book during a program organized by the MSU-based Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library and Association at MSU’s Mitchell Memorial Library.

“The traits that make for a great presidential leader are the same in 2016 as they were in 1789 when George Washington was sworn in,” Boston said.

Boston guided the audience through his “10 commandments of presidential leadership,” a set of principles and traits he determined makes a quality president. The commandments were derived from lessons learned about the presidents during the set of public interviews he conducted for his book.

Also during his visit to Starkville, Boston met with the Starkville Bar Association, spoke to an MSU political science class, toured the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library and talked history and baseball with MSU Baseball Coach John Cohen, who shares a passion for history. Boston has published two books on baseball, one of which includes a forward from MSU alumnus and best-selling author John Grisham.

Held in MSU’s Grisham Room, the event included welcoming remarks from MSU Dean of Libraries Frances Coleman, Executive Associate Vice President Julia Hodges and Grant Association Executive Director John Marszalek. MSU Associate History Professor Anne Marshall also moderated a question-and-answer session.

“We are now less than two months from electing a new president of the United States,” Hodges said. “I think we all have a very heightened awareness of democracy and how the democratic process works. We’re very interested in looking at our presidential candidates, so it’s very nice for us at this time to have this most-distinguished speaker who can talk to us about presidents from the past.”

Boston’s visit is made possible with funding from last year’s 15th Amendment Symposium held on campus. Symposium sponsors included MSU Libraries, offices of the President, Provost and Public Affairs, along with the Shackouls Honors College, African American Studies, College of Arts and Sciences and its Department of Political Science and Public Administration, Mississippi Department of Archives and History, National Park Service, University Press of Mississippi, and Office of Starkville Mayor Parker Wiseman.

A commercial lawyer in the Dallas area, Boston repeatedly has been recognized by Texas Monthly magazine as a “Texas Super Lawyer.” In addition to writing about baseball and presidents, Boston has written a book about the importance of lawyers in society.

To learn more about the Grant Presidential Library and Association, visit www.usgrantlibrary.org.

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.