| GRESHAM RILEY AWARD RECIPIENT 2009 |
 Tom Cronin
It shouldn’t be surprising to learn that Tom Cronin enjoys classical music. A political science professor at Colorado College, he often compares the intricacies of music to the workings of politics. “The aware leader, much like a first-rate conductor, knows when to bring in various sections, knows when and how to turn the volume up and down, and learns how to balance opposing sections to achieve desired results,” he wrote in his book, “The Paradoxes of the American President.”
Considered one of the top presidency scholars of the modern era, Tom grew up in the Boston area. He has had a presence at Colorado College since 1979, when he arrived as a visiting professor. He served as Acting President of Colorado College in 1991. He left CC for 12 years to serve as president of Whitman College in Walla Walla, Wash., and returned in 2005 to once again teach political science courses.
Tom was drawn to CC, he says, “Because I like the dedication the faculty has. I like the spirit and independence and imagination of our students. And I love the location in the Rocky Mountain West.”
Tom is a prolific writer, and he believes his work, from scholarly papers to opinion pieces in newspapers and magazines and several books, helps him be an effective teacher. “I love to teach,” he says. “I believe my teaching informs my writing, and my writing informs my teaching.”
He has had two books published this year – “On the Presidency, Teacher, Soldier, Shaman, Pol” and the third edition of “The Paradoxes of the American Presidency” – and he is working on two more, “one on leadership and one on the American politician.”
When Tom isn’t teaching or writing, he listens to classical music, hikes and plays tennis, and reads, favoring biographies. His wife, Tania, is a biologist and composer, and their son, Alexander, is a professor of physics at the University of Arizona.
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