Dr. George R. Goethals

Social psychologist George R. (Al) Goethals joined the Jepson School faculty in 2006 as the E. Claiborne Robins Distinguished Professor in Leadership Studies and retired in May 2023 as professor emeritus. Prior to his Jepson School tenure, he served from 1970-2005 in faculty and administrative roles at Williams College, where he founded the leadership studies program in 1997. At Williams, Goethals began a collaborative relationship with Dr. James MacGregor Burns, whose book Leadership became a seminal text in leadership studies. Burns provided encouragement for Goethals to initiate the Leadership Studies Program at Williams College and introduced Goethals to the Jepson School, which Burns helped shape during its formative years.

In addition to his collegiate appointments, Goethals served as an editor or on the editorial board of several academic journals. His recent research focuses on heroism and presidential leadership. During his Jepson School tenure, he taught courses on theories of leadership, presidential leadership, and Civil War leadership. He has published numerous textbooks, scholarly books, chapters, and refereed articles in scholarly journals.