COMMENTATOR, EDITOR AND BEST-SELLING AUTHOR DAVID GERGEN TO ADDRESS UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA STUDENTS SEPT. 17 AT OU

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jc/9-3-08

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: OU Public Affairs, (405) 325-1701

NORMAN – David Gergen – adviser to presidents, noted commentator and best-selling author – will be the keynote speaker at a President’s Associates dinner in the Molly Shi Boren Ballroom of the Oklahoma Memorial Union, 900 Asp Ave., Wednesday, Sept. 17. The dinner will be preceded by an informal discussion for students.

“David Gergen’s visit to OU gives our community a unique chance to hear first hand his insights into the current presidential election,” said OU President David L. Boren.

Gergen, editor-at-large at U.S. News & World Report and senior political analyst for CNN, has been an active participant in American national life for 30 years. He served as director of communications for President Ronald Reagan and held positions in the administrations of presidents Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton. In 1993, he served as counselor to Clinton on both foreign policy and domestic affairs and then as special international adviser to the president and Secretary of State Warren Christopher. In fall 2000, he published the best-selling book Eyewitness to Power: The Essence of Leadership, Nixon to Clinton.

He also has served for two years as moderator of World @ Large, a 13-part PBS discussion series. In addition, he is a professor of public service at the Harvard Kennedy School, where he also serves as director of the Center for Public Leadership.

From 1984 to 1993, Gergen worked primarily as a journalist, including a two-and-a-half-year period as editor of U.S. News. Working with the owner and editor-in-chief, Mortimer Zuckerman, he helped to guide the magazine to record gains in circulation and advertising. Also during this period, he teamed up with Mark Shields for political commentary every Friday night for five years on the MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour; the two were a popular political team, winning numerous accolades for their political coverage.

A native of Durham, N.C., Gergen is an honors graduate of Yale University and Harvard Law School. He is a member of the District of Columbia bar.

Gergen is active on many nonprofit boards, including Duke University and Teach for America. He frequently lectures in the United States and overseas and holds 17 honorary degrees.

Limited seating is available by reservation for OU students, faculty and staff, with overflow seating available for the public. For more reservations and accommodations on the basis of disability, call the Office of Special Events at (405) 325-3784.