Josiah Bunting III
Encyclopedia
Josiah Bunting III is an American
educator. He has been a military officer, college president, and an author and speaker on education and Western culture
.
, Connecticut
, he attended The Hill School
in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, but did not graduate. Instead, he entered the U.S. Marine Corps
. He went on to Virginia Military Institute
where he graduated third in his class as an English major. and was elected to a Rhodes scholarship
to attend the University of Oxford
, where he achieved a M.A. and also served as president of the American Students Association. He entered the United States Army
in 1966. After six years of service, he reached the rank of Major. He was stationed at Fort Bragg
, North Carolina; Vietnam; and West Point
, where he was assistant professor of history and social sciences.
Bunting's 1972 novel The Lionheads was a scathing account based on his experiences as an officer of the 9th Infantry Division
in Vietnam in 1968. The novel's main antagonist, General Lemming, was based heavily on the commanding general, Julian Ewell.
The July 28, 1972 issue of LIFE magazine included a profile written by Thomas Moore of then Major Bunting examining his decision to leave West Point because of his desire to "disassociate [himself] from the active implementation of [the Army's] policy in Vietnam..." In the article Bunting also stated that he favored a "citizen draft and civilian control over the military" and that he didn't "want to see that son of a bitch who grows up in Greenwich, Conn., goes off to Yale and becomes a member of the Skull and Bones get out of doing some sort of national service." Bunting served on the faculty of the Naval War College
for a year in 1973-74.
Bunting served as president of Briarcliff College
and Hampden-Sydney College
and headmaster of The Lawrenceville School
near Princeton, New Jersey
. Notably, Lawrenceville is the arch rival of Bunting's former high school, The Hill School.
At Hampden-Sydney he revitalized the Englsh composition or Rhetoric Program, enhanced the Western Civilization program,then called Western Man, making it more interdisciplinary. He also spearheded the Campaign for Hampden-Sydney, a capital campaign that nearly tripled the college's endowment.
Bunting was appointed Superintendent of the Virginia Military Institute in 1995 and served until 2003. At VMI, he served as Professor of Humanities. He was responsible for overseeing preparations for and the enrollment of VMI's first female cadets.
Bunting is also a member of the UNESCO Commission and of the National Council of the National Endowment for the Humanities in Washington.
In 2004, Bunting was appointed chairman of the National Civic Literacy Board of the Intercollegiate Studies Institute
.
In 2007, Bunting was appointed president of ISI’s Lehrman American Studies Center.
Bunting is married and has four adult children.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
educator. He has been a military officer, college president, and an author and speaker on education and Western culture
Western culture
Western culture, sometimes equated with Western civilization or European civilization, refers to cultures of European origin and is used very broadly to refer to a heritage of social norms, ethical values, traditional customs, religious beliefs, political systems, and specific artifacts and...
.
Biography
Josiah Bunting was born and raised in TorringtonTorrington
-People:* Jeff Torrington, Scottish writer* George Byng, 1st Viscount Torrington, British naval officer and statesman-Places:In Australia:* Torrington, New South WalesIn Canada:* Torrington, AlbertaIn the United Kingdom:...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, he attended The Hill School
The Hill School
The Hill School is a preparatory boarding school for boys and girls located in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, about 35 miles northwest of Philadelphia....
in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, but did not graduate. Instead, he entered the U.S. Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
. He went on to Virginia Military Institute
Virginia Military Institute
The Virginia Military Institute , located in Lexington, Virginia, is the oldest state-supported military college and one of six senior military colleges in the United States. Unlike any other military college in the United States—and in keeping with its founding principles—all VMI students are...
where he graduated third in his class as an English major. and was elected to a Rhodes scholarship
Rhodes Scholarship
The Rhodes Scholarship, named after Cecil Rhodes, is an international postgraduate award for study at the University of Oxford. It was the first large-scale programme of international scholarships, and is widely considered the "world's most prestigious scholarship" by many public sources such as...
to attend the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, where he achieved a M.A. and also served as president of the American Students Association. He entered the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
in 1966. After six years of service, he reached the rank of Major. He was stationed at Fort Bragg
Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Fort Bragg is a major United States Army installation, in Cumberland and Hoke counties, North Carolina, U.S., mostly in Fayetteville but also partly in the town of Spring Lake. It was also a census-designated place in the 2010 census and had a population of 39,457. The fort is named for Confederate...
, North Carolina; Vietnam; and West Point
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
, where he was assistant professor of history and social sciences.
Bunting's 1972 novel The Lionheads was a scathing account based on his experiences as an officer of the 9th Infantry Division
U.S. 9th Infantry Division
The 9th Infantry Division was created as the 9th Division during World War I, but never deployed overseas. Later, the division was an important unit of the United States Army in World War II and the Vietnam War...
in Vietnam in 1968. The novel's main antagonist, General Lemming, was based heavily on the commanding general, Julian Ewell.
The July 28, 1972 issue of LIFE magazine included a profile written by Thomas Moore of then Major Bunting examining his decision to leave West Point because of his desire to "disassociate [himself] from the active implementation of [the Army's] policy in Vietnam..." In the article Bunting also stated that he favored a "citizen draft and civilian control over the military" and that he didn't "want to see that son of a bitch who grows up in Greenwich, Conn., goes off to Yale and becomes a member of the Skull and Bones get out of doing some sort of national service." Bunting served on the faculty of the Naval War College
Naval War College
The Naval War College is an education and research institution of the United States Navy that specializes in developing ideas for naval warfare and passing them along to officers of the Navy. The college is located on the grounds of Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island...
for a year in 1973-74.
Bunting served as president of Briarcliff College
Briarcliff College
Briarcliff College was a women's college located in the village of Briarcliff Manor in Westchester County, New York, near White Plains.Founded in the 1904, Briarcliff was a junior college until 1965, during the presidency of Charles E. Atkins, when it began awarding four-year Bachelor's degrees...
and Hampden-Sydney College
Hampden-Sydney College
Hampden–Sydney College is a liberal arts college for men located in Hampden Sydney, Virginia, United States. Founded in 1775, Hampden–Sydney is the oldest private charter college in the Southern U.S., the last college founded before the American Revolution, and one of only three four-year,...
and headmaster of The Lawrenceville School
Lawrenceville School
The Lawrenceville School is a coeducational, independent preparatory boarding school for grades 9–12 located on in the historic community of Lawrenceville, in Lawrence Township, New Jersey, U.S., five miles southwest of Princeton....
near Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton is a community located in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It is best known as the location of Princeton University, which has been sited in the community since 1756...
. Notably, Lawrenceville is the arch rival of Bunting's former high school, The Hill School.
At Hampden-Sydney he revitalized the Englsh composition or Rhetoric Program, enhanced the Western Civilization program,then called Western Man, making it more interdisciplinary. He also spearheded the Campaign for Hampden-Sydney, a capital campaign that nearly tripled the college's endowment.
Bunting was appointed Superintendent of the Virginia Military Institute in 1995 and served until 2003. At VMI, he served as Professor of Humanities. He was responsible for overseeing preparations for and the enrollment of VMI's first female cadets.
Bunting is also a member of the UNESCO Commission and of the National Council of the National Endowment for the Humanities in Washington.
In 2004, Bunting was appointed chairman of the National Civic Literacy Board of the Intercollegiate Studies Institute
Intercollegiate Studies Institute
The Intercollegiate Studies Institute, Inc., or ', is a non-profit educational organization founded in 1953 as the Intercollegiate Society of Individualists...
.
In 2007, Bunting was appointed president of ISI’s Lehrman American Studies Center.
Bunting is married and has four adult children.
Nonfiction
- Small Units in the Control of Civil Disorder (1967)
- Ulysses S. Grant (Times Books/Henry Holt, 2004), part of the American Presidents series (ed. Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr.)
Novels
- The Lionheads selected one of the Ten Best Novels of 1973 by Time magazine.
- The Advent of Frederick Giles (1974).
- An Education for Our Time (Regnery, 1998), a work describing a "dying billionaire's detailed vision of a new, ideal college", was a main selection of the Conservative Book Club in 1998.
- All Loves Excelling (Bridge Works, 2001), set in a boarding school.
Edited editions
- Macaulay, Thomas Babington. Lays of Ancient Rome (Gateway, 1997)
- Newman, Cardinal John Henry. The Idea of a University (Gateway, 1999)
Rank
| Lieutenant General Lieutenant General (United States) In the United States Army, the United States Air Force and the United States Marine Corps, lieutenant general is a three-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-9. Lieutenant general ranks above major general and below general... Virginia Militia Virginia Militia The Virginia militia is an armed force composed of all citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia capable of bearing arms. The Virginia militia was established in 1607 as part of the British militia system. Militia service in Virginia was compulsory for all free males... |
Major Major (United States) In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel... United States Army United States Army The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services... |
Awards and decorations
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- Combat Infantryman BadgeCombat Infantryman BadgeThe Combat Infantryman Badge is the U.S. Army combat service recognition decoration awarded to soldiers—enlisted men and officers holding colonel rank or below, who personally fought in active ground combat while an assigned member of either an infantry or a Special Forces unit, of brigade size...
- Parachutist BadgeParachutist Badge (United States)The Parachutist Badge, also commonly referred to as "Jump Wings" or "Snow Cone", is a military badge of the United States Armed Forces awarded to members of the United States Army, Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy...
- Bronze Star MedalBronze Star MedalThe Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...
with two oak leaf clusters - Army Commendation MedalCommendation MedalThe Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military decoration which is presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. For valorous actions in direct contact with an enemy force, but of a lesser degree than required for the award of the Bronze Star, the Valor device may...
- Presidential Unit Citation
- National Defense Service MedalNational Defense Service MedalThe National Defense Service Medal is a military service medal of the United States military originally commissioned by President Dwight D. Eisenhower...
- Armed Forces Expeditionary MedalArmed Forces Expeditionary MedalThe Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal is a military award of the United States military, which was first created in 1961 by Executive Order of President John Kennedy...
- Vietnam Service MedalVietnam Service MedalThe Vietnam Service Medal is a military award which was created in 1965 by order of President Lyndon B. Johnson. The distinctive design was the creation of sculptor Thomas Hudson Jones, a former employee of the Army Institute of Heraldry. The medal is issued to recognize military service during...
- Vietnam Armed Forces Honor MedalVietnam Armed Forces Honor MedalThe Vietnam Armed Forces Honor Medal was a decoration of South Vietnam that was first created in 1953. The medal was issued in two grades and reached its height of bestowals during the years of the Vietnam War...
, Second-Class - Vietnam Campaign MedalVietnam Campaign MedalThe Vietnam Campaign Medal is a military recognition awarded by the Republic of Vietnam, , to any member of the United States, Australian, New Zealand and allied military forces serving six months or more in support of Republic of Vietnam military operations.Established in 1966, the decoration is...
- Ranger TabRanger TabThe Ranger Tab is a service school military decoration of the United States Army signifying completion of the 61-day long Ranger School course in small-unit infantry combat tactics in woodland, mountain, and swamp operations. In December 2009 a British NCO earned the Ranger tab...
:
- Ninth Infantry Division ("Old Reliables") shoulder sleeve insignia (SSI):