New History Book Reveals How Two Universities Rose From Ruin After Catastrophic Destruction

What happens when institutions built on knowledge, tradition, and community are suddenly reduced to rubble?

In “When Universities Are Destroyed: How Tulane University and the University of Alabama Rebuilt After Disaster,” Dr. Jack Kushner delivers a gripping, real-world examination of resilience in the face of overwhelming loss. Set against two defining moments in American history—the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the destruction of the University of Alabama during the Civil War—the book traces how higher education survives when everything else collapses.

About the Book
When Hurricane Katrina submerged Tulane University under floodwaters, the damage totaled an estimated $650 million, forcing administrators to confront an uncertain future. With classrooms ruined, infrastructure destroyed, and morale shaken, Tulane faced a question few universities ever have to ask: Can we rebuild—and should we?

Seeking answers, university leaders turned to history—specifically, the University of Alabama’s own rebirth after it was burned to the ground by Union forces in 1865. Through vivid historical comparison, Dr. Kushner chronicles how both institutions confronted destruction, navigated political and social obstacles, and ultimately reclaimed their missions.

From Tulane’s rapid recovery under the decisive leadership of President Scott Cowen to Alabama’s delayed reconstruction amid postwar Southern turmoil, this book reveals how leadership, vision, and resolve determine whether institutions fade or rise stronger than before.

About the Author
Dr. Jack Kushner was a member of the Tulane University Alumni Board of Directors, a member of the Tulane Associates Board of Directors, and a consultant to the Tulane University Medical School Dean, Dr. Benjamin Sachs. He is a graduate of the Tulane University, the University of Alabama Medical School and did his surgical internship at George Washington University Medical School, a surgical Residency at the University of Michigan Medical School, and a Neurosurgical Residency at the Wake Forest Medical School. He served in the U.S. Army as a combat surgeon in Vietnam for which he was awarded the Bronze Star. He has been honored at Sheffield University in England, which he attended for one year, and honored at Cambridge University and Oxford University. He practiced Neurosurgery in Annapolis, Maryland, for almost 25 years.

Dr. Kushner has authored and presented numerous medical journal articles. He has also served on several medical editorial boards.

When disaster strikes and everything is lost, what does it truly take for an institution—and the people behind it-to rise again?

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