Former National Security Advisor and Retired General, Warrior-Scholar H.R. McMaster to Speak at Pasadena Series

Retired Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, a battle-tested veteran and among the nation’s most renowned warrior-intellectuals, will bring his unique blend of military expertise and academic insight to the Distinguished Speaker Series in Pasadena on Monday, March 25.

General McMaster, 61, who served as President Donald J. Trump’s national security adviser from February 2017 to May 2018, has left an indelible mark on the battlefield and in the halls of power. He has been named one of TIME’s “100 Most Influential People in the World” and Fortune’s “50 World’s Greatest Leaders” for his leadership in the Gulf War, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, General McMaster earned a Ph.D. in military history from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1996. His doctoral dissertation, a critical analysis of U.S. strategy and leadership during the Vietnam War, became the basis for his New York Times bestseller “Dereliction of Duty.”

But it was on the battlefield where General McMaster truly made his mark. As a young captain during the Gulf War in 1991, he commanded the outnumbered 2nd Cavalry Regiment in the decisive Battle of 73 Easting against the Iraqi Republican Guard. Years later, as a colonel, he led the 3rd Cavalry Regiment during the Iraq War and became a top counterinsurgency advisor to Gen. David H. Petraeus.

In his second book, “Battlegrounds,” General McMaster offers a compelling analysis of the key national security challenges facing the United States and the world. The book, also a New York Times bestseller, draws on his extensive military experience and his tenure as national security adviser.

Since retiring from the military in 2018, General McMaster has continued to influence the global security conversation as a senior fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution and a lecturer at its Graduate School of Business.

“McMaster is expected to deliver a compelling message urging Americans and global citizens to rise above partisan politics, educate themselves on pressing security challenges, and collaborate for a peaceful and prosperous future,” the organizers of the Distinguished Speaker Series said in a statement.

The Distinguished Speaker Series, founded in 1996, has hosted world leaders, Nobel laureates, best-selling authors, and other prominent figures. The event will take place at the Ambassador Auditorium in Pasadena, a historic venue known as “The Carnegie Hall of the West.”

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