Advisor and Politician David Gergen Dies at 83
On July 10th, David Gergen, advisor to Presidents Nixon, Ford, Reagan, and Clinton, died in Lexington, Massachusetts. In his long life, he wrote speeches and served as the communications director under Presidents Ford and Reagan. In addition, he was the senior advisor to President Clinton. Furthermore, he was a distinguished political commentator, mentor, and an inspiration within the community.
Gergen was born in 1942 in Durham, a populous city in North Carolina. He was schooled at Yale and received a degree in law from Harvard. He then served in the US Navy for another 3 years before coming into his first job under President Nixon in 1971.
When he was serving in the White House, Gergen’s contributions proved his skill and competency in government. Firstly, he reworked Reagan’s presidential campaign in 1980, and is widely credited with inventing the famous line “Are you better off than you were four years ago?”
He is also credited with softening the cold rhetoric of the firmer voices in the Reagan administration. In the following presidency, he brought the soothing influence to the Clinton . On Facebook, Clinton commends Gergen for his work in the Clinton administration. He writes, “I counted on him for forthright advising and honest feedback, and he never failed to deliver.”
Al Gore, Clinton’s vice president, says that he remembers Gergen for his morality and kindred spirit. “What I will remember him for most was his kindness to everyone he worked with, his sound judgment, and his devotion to doing good in the world,” he mentions.
Moreover, adding to his life in politics, he was a journalist and a mentor. Gergen edited U.S. News & World Report, served as a senior political analyst for CNN and may often be found in PBS’s MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour.
In 1999, he joined the staff at Harvard Kennedy School, where he founded the Center for Public Leadership. There, he mentored hundreds of students, and for them it was a life-changing experience, as they were taught the key principles of life, like curiosity, being open-minded about other’s opinions, and believing in the best of people, alongside lessons on US history and politics.
Michael Horn was one of these students. He describes Gergen as someone who was more than just a guide. He told a local news channel, “He wasn’t just my boss, but my mentor and then lifelong friend. I learned so much from him and through the amazing people that he interacted regularly with.”
However, he thought that the key thing that Gergen taught him was curiosity. “David taught me many things—but he mostly taught me about the importance of curiosity, valuing the humanity in and perspective of each and every individual,” he reminisces.
Also, Gergen authored a number of books, including Eyewitness to Power: The Essence of Leadership, Nixon to Clinton, and Hearts Touched with Fire: How Great Leaders Are Made.
Gergen is succeeded by his wife of 58 years, Anne, and their children, Christopher and Dr. Katherine Gergen Barnett, two brothers, and five grandchildren. His burial was held at Mount Auburn Cemetery, and there will be a public memorial at Harvard to come in his honor.