Boiler Up: A University President in the Public Square

When former Indiana governor Mitch Daniels was named Purdue University's twelfth president, he became one of a small handful of nationally renowned figures to lead an institution of higher education. In an era when university presidents had largely abandoned the role of public intellectual, Daniels immediately captured broad attention for his willingness to take a thoughtful stand on America's most pressing challenges--in academia and far beyond.

Boiler Up: A University President in the Public Square offers readers a fascinating compendium of commencement addresses, published columns, and transcripts of speeches and hosted events spanning ten years of insights and insightful interactions that put Mitch Daniels front and center among American thought leaders. Throughout the book, Daniels's sharp intellect, incisive analysis, and delightful sense of humor reign supreme. Via embedded QR codes, readers can "attend" recorded content, including evenings with Condoleezza Rice, Garry Kasparov, Walter Isaacson, and other fascinating people. Whether the reader seeks lessons on leadership or immersion in engaging ideas, Boiler Up is a tour de force of transformative thinking.

Proceeds from the sales of Boiler Up support the scholarship fund at Purdue Polytechnic High Schools.

Mitch Daniels is one of the few Americans to excel as a leader in the private, public, and education sectors, within the span of a decade having been called both "America's best governor" and its "best university president."

Elected Indiana's governor in 2004 in his first bid for public office, Daniels was reelected in 2008, earning more votes than any candidate in state history.

During a decade as Purdue University's president, Daniels exemplified the role of public intellectual and thought leader in poignant speeches, provocative opinion pieces, and national interviews on topics of great currency to American society. He captured the country's attention by prioritizing student affordability and investment in faculty and research.

Daniels held senior positions in two U.S. presidential administrations as well as top executive posts at Eli Lilly and Company. In 2015, he was named to Fortune magazine's World's 50 Greatest Leaders, and in 2019, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 2023, Purdue University named its business school for him.

Daniels earned a baccalaureate from Princeton and a law degree from Georgetown. He is a contributing columnist to the Washington Post.