Patrick Spero
Executive Director
Patrick Spero, Ph.D., is the Executive Director of the George Washington Presidential Library. Prior to his current role, he served as Librarian and Director of the Library & Museum of the American Philosophical Society (APS) in Philadelphia. Previously, Spero served on the faculty of Williams College, teaching courses on the American Presidency, the American Revolution, early American history, and political leadership.
Spero is the author of Frontier Country: The Politics of War in Early Pennsylvania, Frontier Rebels: The Fight for Independence in the American West, and the forthcoming The Scientist Turned Spy: Andre Michaux, Thomas Jefferson, and the Conspiracy of 1793 and co-editor of The American Revolution Reborn: New Perspectives for the 21st Century.
In recognition of his scholarly and administrative accomplishments, he is an elected member of the Royal Historical Society (2023), the Academy of Arts in Science in Lyon, France (2023), the American Philosophical Society (2023), and the American Antiquarian Society (2023).
Spero received his BA from James Madison University and his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.
The Farewell Address
The Whiskey Rebellion
The First Year