Description

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From modest beginnings to Secretary of the Navy, John Dalton’s life is an inspirational story filled with successes and failures in both the public and private sectors and how he navigated through them.

John Dalton's life is an inspirational American success story. At the Helm traces his journey from modest beginnings in Louisiana to traveling the world and working across private and public sectors and four presidential appointments all culminating in his appointment as the 70th Secretary of the Navy.

As Secretary of the Department of the Navy, including both Navy and Marine Corps, Dalton had to weather the storm of the Tailhook controversy, navigate through the Naval Academy cheating scandal, manage the new policies of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and women serving in combat. His record with these situations shines as a model of ethical leadership during crises.

John Dalton has created an account of his life for posterity, and to encourage others at this challenging juncture in American history. His memoir recounts his experiences and the bedrock values which shaped him and the hard lessons he received from them…including the essence of principled leadership.

At the Helm is a portrait of a man who has lived life ethically and to the fullest, doing his utmost to leave the world better than he found it.

About the Author

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John H. Dalton served as the 70th Secretary of the Navy and was recognized by the National Security Caucus as their 1997 International Security Leadership Award recipient. After graduating from the US Naval Academy, he served on two submarines. In 1977, President Carter nominated him as president of the Government National Mortgage Association (“Ginnie Mae”) and later a member and then Chairman of the Federal Home Loan Bank Board. In July 1993, President Clinton nominated him as Secretary of the Navy where he served for five and a half years.

In the private sector, Secretary Dalton began his career with Goldman Sachs. Between his two government tenures, he served in leadership positions of several financial firms. Secretary Dalton attended Louisiana State University one year before attending the US Naval Academy where, as Deputy Brigade Commander (the Brigade number two ranking position), he graduated with distinction in 1964. He was inducted into the LSU Alumni Hall of Distinction and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from Trinity College. In 2016, he received the Distinguished Graduate Award from the Naval Academy and was also named an honorary Canon of the Washington National Cathedral. He and his wife, Margaret, reside in Washington.