David Gergen to Deliver Keynote Address at Union Institute & University's National Commencement

The senior political analyst for CNN and advisor to four U.S. presidents will host a talk, open to the public, September 28


CINCINNATI – Union Institute & University (UI&U) is honored to announce that David Gergen, one of the most important voices in leadership and U.S. politics and public policy, will deliver the keynote address at UI&U’s national commencement ceremony, Saturday, September 27, in the Hall of Mirrors at the Hilton Netherland, downtown. Union will also present Gergen with an honorary Doctorate in Letters for his work as a leader who puts country before politics.

Gergen is the director of the Center for Public Leadership at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He is the editor-at-large at U.S. News & World Report and is a senior political analyst for CNN. He also served in the White House for Presidents Nixon, Ford, and Reagan before agreeing to serve as counselor to President Clinton on both foreign policy and domestic affairs, and then as a special international advisor to the president and to Secretary of State Warren Christopher. Gergen also regularly serves as an analyst on radio shows, and he is a frequent lecturer at venues around the world. In the fall of 2000 he published a best-selling book titled, Eyewitness to Power: The Essence of Leadership, Nixon to Clinton.
Gergen was the editor of U.S. News for two-and-a-half years. While working to guide the magazine to record gains in circulation and advertising, he also teamed up with Mark Shields for political commentary every Friday night for five years on the MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour. The two won numerous awards for their political coverage.

Currently, Gergen is actively covering the U.S. Presidential election for CNN, and he will again add his voice of expertise and experience to the political frontier when he reports on the upcoming presidential debates, the first of which will take place on September 26, a day before he visits Cincinnati.

Union will also host a Q&A with Gergen, titled Breakfast with David Gergen, from 9-11 a.m., Sunday, September 28, at UI&U, 440 East McMillan St., Walnut Hills. The event is open to the public, however, seating is limited and priority is given to journalism and political science students, who may preregister by calling Nicole Hamilton at 513-487-1194, or by emailing at Nicole.hamilton@tui.edu. This event is free. Coffee and bagels courtesy of Marx Hot Bagels.