Remembering Professor Richard H. Shultz, Jr.

We share with deep sadness the passing of Professor Richard H. Shultz, Jr., Senior Advisor to LEADx and longtime Director of the International Security Studies Program at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University.

Professor Shultz was a defining figure in the field of security studies, and a foundational supporter of the leadership mission that LEADx has carried forward from its earliest days.

A Foundational Presence in the LEADx Community

From the first conversations in 2019, when LEADx was still only an ambitious idea, Professor Shultz believed deeply in its purpose. He recognized the need for a space dedicated to cultivating leaders with clarity, integrity, and courage.

He helped shape LEADx’s founding vision, traveled to Tbilisi for its inauguration, and continued to strengthen each edition that followed. Many within the LEADx network learned directly from his mentorship, wisdom, and guidance. Even when he was not physically present, he remained a steady advocate for the mission and the community.

LEADx mementos held a proud place in his history-filled office, reflecting how personally he valued this project and the people within it.

A Lasting Legacy in Security Studies

Over more than four decades at Fletcher, Professor Shultz helped define the discipline of security studies and shaped generations of scholars and practitioners. His influence continues through the institutions he built and the individuals he mentored, many of whom now serve in governments, universities, organizations, and missions around the world.

Carrying Forward His Example

When words fall short, LEADx often speaks in jazz. In that spirit, Professor Shultz has been described as the community’s John Coltrane: disciplined, foundational, and defining. Through rigor, depth, and clarity, he elevated those around him and made complexity feel purposeful and alive.

As LEADx continues its mission to rethink leadership for a rapidly changing 21st century, we carry forward the baton he placed in so many hands.

Professor Richard H. Shultz, Jr. will be remembered as a mentor, scholar, ally, and enduring presence in the communities he served.