Graham Allison

Graham Allison is one of the preeminent thinkers in foreign affairs. He is the Douglas Dillon Professor of Government at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government and the Founding Dean of the Kennedy School from 1977 to 1989. He has written more than a dozen books on the topics of nuclear weapons and diplomacy, including the must-read "Essence of Decision: Explaining the Cuban Missile Crisis."

Allison was born in 1940 in Charlotte, North Carolina. His mother, Marguerite B. Allison, was an editor and writer, and his father, James Allison, was a banker and a lawyer. His early education includes a BA from Harvard College in 1962, an M.A. from Harvard University in 1963, and a Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1968.

Allison is a revered scholar and educator. He has taught at Harvard since 1968 and has authored or coauthored ten books that explore the political science of diplomacy and crucial elements of foreign policy decision-making. He is the world's leading authority on nuclear weapons and the Cuban Missile Crisis and has written two seminal works on the subject, "Essence of Decision" (1971) and "Nuclear Weapons and U.S. National Security Policy" (1998). His most recent book, "Destined for War: Can America and China Escape Thucydides’s Trap?", explores the post-Cold War international order, with a specific focus on the complex U.S.-China relationship.

Allison has been credited with introducing the teaching of realism, systemic thinking and decision-making into the study of international relations. His teaching and published works have helped to inform the teaching of the field in both undergraduate and graduate programs.

Allison’s research has been instrumental in shaping U.S. foreign policy. He has served in a number of government capacities, most notably as Special Adviser to the Secretary of Defense during the Reagan Administration and as a Member of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Disarmament. He has consulted with international organizations, foreign governments and NGOs, and has advised six American presidents on a range of topics.

Allison has received numerous awards and accolades, including the National Security Medal, the Scowcroft Award for Excellence in National Security Policy and the Truman Medal for National Service. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and its Institute of Medicine, a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a foreign policy advisor to the Obama Administration.

In his books, Allison applies his vast knowledge of international relations both to the study of international policy-making processes and as a means of drawing broad conclusions about the management of global affairs. His writings provide important insight into the exercise of power, the dynamics of the international system, and the practice of foreign policy decision-making. His most acclaimed work, "Essence of Decision," explains the Cuban Missile Crisis, an event that served as a crucial touchstone in the Cold War. In it, he draws a variety of lessons from the event, including the importance of closer attention to decision-making dynamics and the need for more effective international relations, as well as to nuclear decision-making.

Graham Allison is a powerful voice for the international stage and a key figure in the field of international relations study. His thought-provoking books and multiple government services below the highest ranks in the United States government have made him an invaluable part of our understanding of global affairs.