Interviews with living presidents, noted presidential historians, and treasured personal experience from the Carter administration comprise David Rubenstein’s latest publication, The Highest Calling. With an enlightening overview of arguably the single most important position in the world – Rubenstein returns to the Library Society to share the rich combination of history, interviews, and anecdotes, where he recounts the presidents who have defined America as it exists today. Having previously distilled the contours of American democracy for decades with some of the world’s most renowned leaders, in this conversation with Bud Watts, Rubenstein will deliver his insightful perspective on the legacies of the position of commander-in-chief. Known globally as the co-founder and co-chairman of The Carlyle Group, Rubenstein has also transformed the concept of philanthropic giving in the US and recently received the Presidential Medal of Freedom award, the nation’s highest civilian honor, and one fitting and deserving to a man who exemplifies the American spirit of generosity, creativity and leadership.
If you are unable to attend the event, but would like to purchase one or more signed copies, please visit Buxton Books here.
About the Book
In The Highest Calling, he offers an enlightening overview of arguably the single most important position in the world: the American presidency. Blending history and anecdote, Rubenstein chronicles the journeys of the presidents who have defined America as it exists now, what they envision for its future, and their legacy on the world stage. Drawing from his own experience in the Carter administration, he engages in dialogues with our nation’s presidents and the historians who study them. Get exclusive access to fresh perspectives, including, original interviews with most of the living US presidents and interviews with noted presidential historians like Annette Gordon-Reed, Ron Chernow, Candice Millard, and more. Through “chatty, insightful, and enlightening” (The Wall Street Journal) analysis, Rubenstein captures our country’s most prominent leaders, the political genius and frays of the presidential role, and the wisdom that emerges from it.
About the Author
David M. Rubenstein is Co-Founder and Co-Chairman of The Carlyle Group, one of the world’s largest and most successful private investment firms. Established in 1987, Carlyle now manages $435 billion from 29 offices around the world. A Baltimore native, Mr Rubenstein is the Chairman, CEO, and principal owner of Major League Baseball’s Baltimore Orioles. Mr. Rubenstein is additionally the Chairman of the Boards, the Council on Foreign Relations, the National Gallery of Art, the Economic Club of Washington, and the University of Chicago; a Trustee of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins Medicine, the Institute for Advanced Study, the National Constitution Center, the Brookings Institution, and the World Economic Forum; and a Director of Moderna, Inc., the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, among other board seats. Leading in the field of Patriotic Philanthropy, Mr Rubenstein has made transformative gifts for the restoration or repair of the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Monticello, Montpelier, Mount Vernon, Arlington House, Iwo Jima Memorial, the Kennedy Center, the Smithsonian, the National Archives, the National Zoo, the Library of Congress, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Mr. Rubenstein is an original signer of The Giving Pledge; the host of The David Rubenstein Show, Bloomberg Wealth with David Rubenstein, and Iconic America: Our Symbols and Stories with David Rubenstein; and the author of The American Story, How to Lead, The American Experiment, and How to Invest.
About Bud Watts
Claudius E. Watts IV (“Bud”) is a private investor and founder of Meeting Street Capital, LLC. Meeting Street Capital is a private investment firm focused primarily on early stage software businesses based in the Southeast.
Mr. Watts also serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of CommScope (NASDAQ: COMM) and as a Senior Advisor to The Carlyle Group. From 2016 until 2020, Mr. Watts served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Carolina Financial Corporation (NASDAQ: CARO), which was sold to United Bankshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: UBSI) in 2020. In addition to his current business activities, Mr. Watts serves as the Chairman of the Boards of The Citadel Trust and The Citadel Real Estate Foundation and on the board of The Citadel Foundation, which he previously chaired for six years. He also serves as Chairman of the Board of The Belle W. Baruch Foundation, Vice Chairman of the Roper St. Francis Foundation, and on the board of the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition.
Previously, Mr. Watts was a Partner and Managing Director at The Carlyle Group. He joined the firm in 2000, established its Technology Buyout Group in 2004, and led it until 2014. He retired from the firm in late 2017. Before joining Carlyle, Mr. Watts was an investment banker and Managing Director at Bowles Hollowell Conner & Co. There, he advised corporations and private equity firms on mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and related financings.
Prior to attending graduate business school, Mr. Watts served as a fighter pilot in the United States Air Force. During his service, he was qualified as an instructor pilot in both the F-16 and A-10 aircraft and served in a number of leadership and operations management positions in the United States and abroad. Mr. Watts earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from The Citadel and an M.B.A. from the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration.