Skip to content

Combat historian to speak at 2025 President’s Gala

Patrick K. O’Donnell (Photo Credit: Theo Coulombe)

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.

 

Erskine and Due West Skyline

Interested in Erskine?

Erskine College admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

Back To Top