Doug Wead Biography
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Doug Wead is a New York Times bestselling author and an adviser to two American presidents. In 2012 he took a sabbatical from writing to serve as a senior adviser to the Ron Paul presidential campaign.
He is the author of more than thirty books and a co-author of a book with President George H. W. Bush. His books are known for their primary sources. He has interviewed six presidents and first ladies, nineteen of the presidents children and twelve presidential siblings. Wead served as special assistant to the president in the Bush, Sr. White House. He is a co-founder of Mercy Corps which has distributed more than $2 billion of food and medicine around the world. For twenty four years, Doug Wead has been researching and writing about the families of the American presidents. All the Presidents' Children, the first book in a massive ongoing trilogy on the first families, was an instant New York Times bestseller. Released by Simon & Schuster's Atria Books in February, 2003, it went through three printings in its first month and reached number one at Amazon.com. The Raising of a President was released by Simon & Schuster's Atria Books on January 4, 2005. This important and much anticipated work is the first book written on the subject of the presidents' parents. Mr. Wead is researching and writing the final book in the trilogy, Sibling Rivalry: The brothers and sisters of the Presidents.
Early Years
Doug Wead was born in Muncie, Indiana, May, 1946. He was raised in the home of an Assemblies of God minister and denominational leader. In 1972, he began writing about the Catholic Charismatic Movement. For several years he was a featured speaker at international, ecumenical events, and served as "unofficial liaison" between Catholics and Protestants in the emerging Charismatic Renewal. Beginning in 1974, Doug Wead became a popular motivational speaker at major corporate events. By 1990 he had repeatedly been the featured speaker to capacity, paid audiences at the largest venues in the world, from the Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis and the Georgia Dome in Atlanta to the Dortmund Center in Germany and Bercy in Paris, France. Millions of Doug Wead tapes and CD's are in circulation. International Charity Awards In 1979, Doug Wead, Dan O'Neill and Pat Boone organized the first International Charity Awards event. First Lady Rosalynn Carter hosted the guests in an East Room reception. The following year Mercy Corps was organized. Five First Ladies from Lady Bird Johnson to Nancy Reagan to Laura Bush have served as honorary chairpersons for the event. Mercy Corps has distributed more than $ 2 billion in food and medicine around the world. 
President George HW Bush, Chief of Staff, John Sununu and Doug Wead.
The Bush Connection Beginning in 1985, Doug Wead served as an advisor to then vice president George H. W. Bush and helped organize his presidential campaign. In March, 1987 he reported directly to the son, George W. Bush and served as the campaign liaison to constituent groups. In the general campaign he was Deputy Director of Voter Coalitions and later served as Special Assistant to the President in the Bush Senior White House. From 1997-2000, Mr. Wead served as an informal advisor to George W. Bush in the years leading up to his election as president. TIME magazine referred to him as the man who coined the phrase "compassionate conservative in 1982." |
Arizona Politics
In the 1990's Doug Wead became involved in Arizona politics which included a successful campaign to change the state constitution, requiring a two thirds legislative majority for raising taxes. In 1992 he won the Republican nomination for congress, representing the 6th District. He ran as "a compasionate conservative" but lost in the general election to his Democratic opponent. It was the year of the Clinton landslide. 
Doug and Myriam Wead
Personal Life
Doug Wead and his wife Myriam have been married 23 years. They have five children, Shannon, Scott, Joshua, Chloe and Camille. They live in Virginia, outside of Washington, D.C. |
