
Combat historian to speak at 2025 President’s Gala

Erskine is pleased to announce that the 2025 President’s Gala is scheduled for Friday, February 28 at 5:30 p.m. in the Bowie Arts Center, with the event to include dinner and an address by Patrick K. O’Donnell, a combat historian, war correspondent, and best-selling author. Tickets may purchased online here.
O’Donnell will speak on “Family, Fortune, and Honor: Washington’s Indispensables,” leading his audience on “a trip back to our founding and ideals, crucial in these chaotic times.”
An authority on America’s conflicts from the Revolution through the Iraq War, O’Donnell is the author of 13 books, including The Unvanquished (2024), First Seals (2014), They Dared Return (2009), and Into the Rising Sun (2002).
During the Iraq War, in the first of two tours, he was embedded in military units for three months and fought in the Battle of Fallujah with a Marine rifle platoon.
An expert on the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), precursor to the CIA, O’Donnell received the John Waller Award for exceptional scholarship in intelligence and special operations history in 2012.
The recipient of numerous national book awards, O’Donnell is a frequent contributor to national publications; has assisted with documentaries produced by the BBC, The History Channel (now known as HISTORY), and others; has appeared on television and radio shows on NPR, CNN, FOX, Discovery, and other networks; and provided historical consulting for the award-winning miniseries Band of Brothers.
Learn more about Patrick K. O’Donnell here.
General admission ticketing for the 2025 President’s Gala is now open. Tickets must be purchased in advance. Ticketing information is available here. Erskine invites alumni, friends, and members of the community to enjoy this special evening.