David Gergen

David Gergen
Counselor to the President
In office May 29, 1993 – June 28, 1994
President	Bill Clinton
Preceded by	Clayton Yeutter
Succeeded by	Mack McLarty
White House Communications Director
In office June 17, 1981 – January 15, 1984
President	Ronald Reagan
Preceded by	Frank Ursomarso
Succeeded by	Michael A. McManus Jr.
In office July 4, 1976 – January 20, 1977
President	Gerald Ford
Preceded by	Margita White
Succeeded by	Gerald Rafshoon (1978)
White House Staff Secretary
In office January 20, 1981 – June 17, 1981
President	Ronald Reagan
Preceded by	Richard Hutcheson
Succeeded by	Richard Darman
White House Director of Speechwriting
In office February 6, 1973 – August 9, 1974
President	Richard Nixon
Preceded by	Ray Price
Succeeded by	Robert Hartmann
Personal details
Born	David Richmond Gergen (1942-05-09) May 9, 1942 (age 82) Durham, North Carolina, U.S.
Political party	Independent (since 2017)[1]
Other political affiliations	Republican (before 2017)
Spouse	Anne Gergen
Children	2
Education	Yale University (BA) Harvard University (LLB)
Signature
Website	Official website

David Richmond Gergen (born May 9, 1942) is an American political commentator and former presidential adviser who served during the administrations of Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton.^[2] He is currently a senior political analyst for CNN^[3] and a professor of public service and the founding director of the Center for Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School. Gergen is also the former editor at large of U.S. News & World Report^[4] and a contributor to CNN.com and Parade Magazine. He has twice been a member of election coverage teams that won Peabody awards—in 1988 with MacNeil–Lehrer, and in 2008 with CNN.

Gergen joined the Nixon White House in 1971, as a staff assistant on the speech-writing team, becoming director of speechwriting two years later.^[5] He served as director of communications for both Ford and Reagan, and as a senior adviser to Clinton and Secretary of State Warren Christopher.^[6] He graduated with honors from Yale and Harvard Law School, and has been awarded 27 honorary degrees.