Howard Named to Olmsted Foundation Board

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Dr. Christopher B. Howard

HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, VA (03/14/2013)(readMedia)-- Dr. Christopher B. Howard, President of Hampden-Sydney College, was elected to the Board of Directors of the George and Carol Olmsted Foundation on March 12, 2013.

The mission of Olmsted Foundation is to provide, through the Olmsted Scholar Program, outstanding young military officers an opportunity to achieve fluency in a foreign language, to pursue graduate study at an overseas university, and to acquire an in-depth understanding of foreign cultures, thereby further equipping them to serve as senior leaders in the United States Armed Forces.

Dr. Howard is a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, where he earned his bachelor's degree in political science. A Rhodes Scholar, he earned his doctorate in politics at Oxford University and an MBA with distinction from the Harvard Business School. He recently retired as a Lt. Colonel in the United States Air Force Reserves. Dr. Howard served on active duty in Afghanistan, where he won a Bronze Star, and as Air Attaché to Liberia. He became President of Hampden-Sydney, a four-year liberal arts college for men, in 2009.

Before his appointment as President of Hampden-Sydney, Dr. Howard served as vice president for leadership and strategic initiatives at the University of Oklahoma, with General Electric's Corporate Initiatives Group, and with Bristol-Myers Squibb as a corporate associate.

The Olmsted Foundation is named for its initiator and sole endower, Major General George H. Olmsted, USAR, West Point Class of 1922. The original Scholars were selected from the three Service Academies; currently however, through a competitive application process, Scholars are selected from all commissioning sources.

Since 1960, the Department of Defense and the Services have endorsed the prestigious Olmsted Scholar leadership development program. To date, there have been 564 Olmsted Scholars who have studied in 196 foreign universities in 57 countries.

The Foundation sponsors active duty military officers in a two-year program for graduate studies overseas at foreign universities and qualified Cadets, Midshipmen, and members of ROTC for shorter duration trips emphasizing overseas travel and exposure to foreign cultures. The Foundation also supports the Boy Scouts of America.