David Gergen, an advisor to four presidents, a TV political commentator and a best-selling author, died Thursday from Lewy body dementia, according to reports.
Gergen, born in North Carolina, served in the Navy for three years before joining former President Nixon’s staff as a speech writer in 1971. Then he became director of communications for former President Ford.
He continued as an advisor to the George H.W. Bush campaign in 1980 and joined President Reagan’s White House in 1981. Finally, he served President Clinton as counselor, notes The New York Times.
He was renowned for his centrism, saying in 2020 to The Boston Globe, “Centrism doesn’t mean splitting the difference. It’s about seeking solutions, and you bring people along. I’m happily in that role.”
Along with his strong influence in the Oval Office, Gergen intertwined advising the White House and journalism.
Gergen began his career in political journalism when he started in The McNeil-Lehrer NewsHour in 1984. He continued as editor of U.S. News & World Report. More recently, he was a regular commentator on CNN.
In the 1990s, he began teaching at Harvard University and served as co-director of the Kennedy School Center for Public Leadership.
In 2001, he became a New York Times best-selling author by publishing “Eyewitness to Power: The Essence of Leadership, Nixon to Clinton.”
He joined multiple non-profit boards, including New Profit and Leadership Now, which helps up-and-coming politicians. He also co-founded With Honor, which aims to limit division within Congress by supporting “principled veterans.”
On top of a distinguished career, Gergen was married to his wife Anne Elizabeth Gergen since 1967. They had two children together.
