Dr. J. Thomas Wren

A historian and a legal scholar, Dr. J. Thomas Wren has written and lectured extensively on subjects including James Madison, the Virginia courts, and the historical roots of the values in leadership. His research interests include: the implementation of popular sovereignty in the American experience, the challenge of defining and implementing the common good, the roles of leaders and followers, leadership education, and the intellectual history of leadership. He is the author of the 2007 book Inventing Leadership: The Challenge of Democracy and editor of the 1995 book The Leader's Companion: Insights on Leadership Through the Ages, a staple text in leadership studies pedagogy. 

Dr. Wren joined the Jepson School faculty in 1992 during the school's inaugural year. He served as interim dean and associate dean for academic affairs and is a two-time recipient of the University of Richmond's Distinguished Educator Award. He received the Jepson School Award for Leadership and Service in May 2021 and retired as professor emeritus of leadership studies in December 2012.