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.
For three summers, Gergen was an intern in the office of North Carolina Governor Terry Sanford, where he became deeply involved in civil rights efforts. Gergen has called this work his “most satisfying experience in public service.”[14] He served in the U.S. Navy for three-and-a-half years and was stationed on a ship home-ported in Japan. Gergen writes in his book of his time as a damage control officer on a repair ship, USS Ajax: “Learning to control damage, it turned out, was the best possible preparation for my coming years in the White House”.[6]
Political activity
Gergen began his political career in 1971 when he went to work for Richard Nixon as a staff assistant in the speech-writing office headed by Ray Price—a group that included Pat Buchanan, Ben Stein, and William Safire. Two years later, he rose to director of speechwriting.[2]
In 1974 Gergen took a brief hiatus from the White House to write speeches for Treasury SecretaryWilliam E. Simon. Gergen writes in his book, "For me it was a great trade—the Treasury team taught me all about free markets and fiscal discipline." Gergen returned to the White House in 1975 as director of communications for President Gerald Ford.[15] In 1980, Gergen was an adviser to the George H. W. Bush presidential campaign and went on to join the Reagan White House in 1981. Beginning as a staff director, he eventually became director of communications. In 1993 Gergen returned to the White House, serving as counselor to President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Warren Christopher.[6][16][17]
Following his years in public service, Gergen worked as a political journalist, commentator, and editor. After leaving the White House in 1977, he worked as a freelance writer and, in 1978, as the first managing editor of Public Opinion, a magazine published by the American Enterprise Institute. From 1985 to 1986, he worked as an editor at U.S. News & World Report, where he became editor at large following his service in the Clinton administration. There, he worked with publisher Mort Zuckerman to achieve record gains in circulation and advertising.[2]
Gergen's career in television began in 1985, when he joined the MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour for Friday night discussions of politics, where he remained a regular commentator for five years.[2]
Gergen taught at Duke University from 1995 to 1999 and then joined the Harvard University faculty in 1999. He is currently a professor of public service at the Harvard Kennedy School, where he teaches courses on leadership, public service, and U.S. politics.[18] During election years, he co-teaches a course called Contemporary Issues in American Elections with Elaine Kamarck.[19] In January 2014 he taught a Harvard short-term course in New York City titled "Leadership for a Livable City."[20]
At Harvard Kennedy School, he served as the co-director of the Kennedy School Center for Public Leadership, which seeks to enhance leadership teaching and research.[21] The Center helps to provide scholarships to 100 fellows a year, preparing them to serve as leaders for the common good.
Gergen served as the inaugural Isabella Cannon Distinguished Visiting Professor of Leadership at Elon University and was a fellow at Harvard University's Institute of Politics in 1984.[22][23]
Books
Gergen is the author of the New York Times bestseller book Eyewitness to Power: The Essence of Leadership, Nixon to Clinton, published in 2000. The book recounts his time in the Nixon, Ford, Reagan, and Clinton administrations. Gergen argues that, as the 21st century begins, the success of the United States as a country will depend heavily upon the success of a new generation in power. Drawing upon his many experiences in the White House, he offers seven vital elements that future leaders must possess: inner mastery; a central, compelling purpose rooted in moral values; a capacity to persuade; an ability to work within the system; a sure, quick start; strong, prudent advisers; and a passion that inspires others to carry on the mission.[6] In 2022, Gergen was working on a new book about renewing America's political culture.[4] His 2nd book, Hearts Touched with Fire: How Great Leaders are Made, was published in May 2022.
Gergen, David (September 6, 2000). Eyewitness to Power: The Essence of Leadership, Nixon to Clinton. Simon & Schuster. ISBN978-0-684-82663-9.
Gergen, David (May 10, 2022). Hearts Touched with Fire: How Great Leaders are Made. Simon & Schuster. ISBN978-1-982-17057-8.
Personal life
Gergen has been married since 1967 to Anne Elizabeth Gergen, who is a family therapist. They live in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and have two children and five grandchildren.[4] Their son, Christopher, is a social entrepreneur in North Carolina as well as an author and a member of the Duke University faculty. Their daughter, Katherine, is a family doctor, working with the underserved population at the Boston Medical Center.[24]
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