David Gergen
Honorary Doctorate - 2008

David Gergen addresses graduates at the
2008 National Commencement CeremonyAs a presidential advisor, political commentator, author, and educator, Mr. David Gergen has studied leadership and its critical importance to the American way of life for more than 40 years.  Nationally recognized for a refreshingly fair and nonjudgmental take on current events and the political landscape, Mr. Gergen has not only effected change within the media, but also within the very way we view leadership, both politically and socially.

Mr. Gergen began his auspicious national career in the 1960s, joining a hand-picked team of advisors tasked with reforming the Selective Service System after serving nearly four years as an officer in the U.S. Navy.  He then served as chief of the White House speechwriting team under Richard Nixon; special counsel to the president for Gerald Ford;  and director of communications for Ronald Reagan.   After a nine-year hiatus from the White House, during which he worked as editor for U.S. News and World Report and provided political commentary for the MacNeil/Lehrer Newshour, Mr. Gergen returned to Washington, D.C., this time in various roles for the Clinton administration, first as counselor to the president, then as special advisor to the president.  This montage of bi-partisan experience would later provide the foundation for Mr. Gergen’s best-selling book, Eyewitness to Power: The Essence of Leadership, Nixon to Clinton.

After serving four presidential administrations, Mr. Gergen shifted his focus toward the media, community, and education, becoming one of the nation’s most respected political commentators and a staple of multi-media news broadcasting.  Since 2000, Mr. Gergen has worked as a correspondent for ABC News Nightline and Marketplace; as a moderator for the PBS World @ Large discussion series; as an analyst for a variety of radio programs; as a frequent lecturer around the world; and, most recently, as a blog contributor to Anderson Cooper 360.

In 2000, Mr. Gergen stepped into a new role as the director of the Center for Public Leadership at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, an educational endeavor “committed to bridging the gap between leadership theory and practice.”  He currently serves as a trustee for Duke University, and has served as both a distinguished visiting professor of leadership at Elon University and as chair of the Elon University School of Law Advisory Board.  He is also a board member for the Morehouse College Leadership Institute; Teach for America; the Center for Global Development; the Schwab Foundation for Social Enterprise; and the Aspen Institute.

No matter the venue or the political landscape, Mr. Gergen has remained committed to the nation’s vision, its future, and its leadership. With the wisdom of one who has both advised and witnessed the impact of world leaders, he states, “Each generation has to struggle and sacrifice to secure a better future for its children. When it fails, the world slips backward. Whether America moves forward will hinge in significant degree upon the quality and number of those who lead.”