David Gergen

David Gergen served as a White House advisor to Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton. A graduate of Yale University and Harvard Law School, Gergen worked as a senior political analyst for CNN and as a professor of public service at the Harvard Kennedy School, where he also founded the Center for Public Leadership. David Gergen has also served as the moderator for the Linda and Mitch Hart Lecture of SMU's Tate Lecture Series and is the namesake for the directorship of the Center for Presidential History.

David Gergen passed away in July of 2025. You can read more about his life, work, and legacy in these tributes:

• SMU - "SMU Remembers Renowned Journalist and SMU friend David Gergen"
• Harvard Kennedy School - "David Gergen, a towering figure in U.S. politics and founder of the Kennedy School's Center for Public Leadership"
• NPR - "David Gergen, Adviser to 4 presidents, dies at 83"