{"product_id":"mr-secretary-from-the-potato-fields-to-the-white-house-9798988299899","title":"Mr. Secretary: From the Potato Fields to the White House","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Growing up in South Florida in the 1940s, Wilbert Bryant wanted nothing more than to help his disabled mother get enough money to build a house with electricity and running water. At age 8 he picked potatoes in the fields with his four brothers to help earn money for the family. In an era of segregation, the challenges of poverty would shape him into a man who forged a path through an HBCU education, romancing his lovely wife Emily, serving in Vietnam, Korea, Germany and England. Rising through the Army to the rank of colonel, mentored by Colin Powell, he returned to higher education as Vice President of Students Affairs at a Virginia HBCU. His daughter's heartbreaking murder thrust his family onto the national stage with news stories in every major national newspaper, articles in People Magazine and an interview on Oprah Winfrey's show. Becoming Virginia's Secretary of Education, he managed a $17-billion biannual budget, the largest in Virginia's state government. In the White House's Rose Garden, Wil defended Virginia's own education policy against the No Child Left Behind initiative. Starting his serious education at an HBCU, Wil ended his career strengthening HBCUs in George W. Bush's White House. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Colonel Wilbert Bryant\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e New Bay Books LLC\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 02\/28\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 320\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.27lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.87d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9798988299899\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBryant, Colonel Wilbert:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - Colonel Bryant is an amazing storyteller with a fantastic memory. He has maintained his military and friend connections all his life all over the United States. No stranger to public speaking since he was a teenager, throughout his career he was often the Army's chosen officer to brief senior officers. He is a graduate of Florida A\u0026amp;M University and holds a Masters degree from Howard University.\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWakeman-Linn, Julie:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - Julie Wakeman-Linn is a retired English professor and was editor in chief of The Potomac Review, a literary magazine. Over 30 of her short stories and essays have appeared in literary magazines. her novel, Chasing the Leopard; Finding the Lion was a finalist for Barbara Kingsolver's Bellwether Prize and was published in Tanzania by Mkuki Na Nyota in 2012. She holds graduate degrees from the Johns Hopkins University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThis title is not returnable\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"booksdeli.com","offers":[{"title":"Colonel Wilbert Bryant \/ Paperback \/ English","offer_id":47809111818397,"sku":"9798988299899","price":45.71,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0619\/5648\/9373\/files\/img_45e4f1e8-53e6-4bd0-9587-10fcbc3e289d.jpg?v=1775556511","url":"https:\/\/booksdeli.com\/products\/mr-secretary-from-the-potato-fields-to-the-white-house-9798988299899","provider":"booksdeli.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}