Gergen, David: Files, 1981-1984

Office of Communications

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Scope and Content Note

This collection is arranged into 11 series: SERIES I: Gergen/Bistany Subject File; SERIES II: Subject File; SERIES III: Daily Files; SERIES IV: Chron File; SERIES V: Dave Gergen Notes – 1981; SERIES VI: Phone Logs; SERIES VII: Correspondence; SERIES VIII: Press Conferences; SERIES IX: Weekly Updates; SERIES X: Press Logs; and SERIES XI: Publications.

Series List

SERIES I: GERGEN/BISTANY SUBJECT FILE

SERIES II: SUBJECT FILE. 1981-1983

SERIES III: DAILY FILES

SERIES IV: CHRONOLOGICAL FILE - 1981

SERIES V: DAVE GERGEN’S NOTES - 1981

SERIES VI: PHONE LOGS - 1981

SERIES VII: CORRESPONDENCE. 1981-1983

SERIES VIII: Press Conferences

SERIES IX: Weekly Updates

SERIES X: Press Logs

SERIES XI: Publications

Biography

Political consultant David R. Gergen served on the Reagan White House staff from January 1981 to January 1984.

David Gergen was born in Durham, North Carolina on May 9, 1942. He was the youngest of four children of Aubigne Munger and Dr. John Jay Gergen, long-time head of the mathematics department at Duke University. Gergen earned his bachelor's degree from Yale University in 1963 and was a member of the Manuscript Society. Gergen spent three summers serving as an intern for North Carolina's Democratic Governor Terry Sanford on civil rights issues. In 1967, he received his law degree from Harvard Law School. Later that year, Gergen joined the Navy. He served most of the next three and a half years as an officer on a ship based in Japan.

Gergen’s initial White House experience came in the Nixon Administration, where he served as a staff assistant (1971-73) on the speech writing team along with Pat Buchanan, Ben Stein and William Safire. In 1973 he became Director of Speechwriting and Research until 1974. He then moved on to the Treasury Department.

Gergen returned to the White House in 1975, becoming the Director of the White House Communications office under President Ford.

In February 1981, Gergen again returned to the White House working within the Chief of Staff’s office with the specific task of overseeing the Office of Communications and the Office of Speechwriting. When communications operations were reorganized in June 1981, Gergen took the title of Assistant to the President for Communications. By the end of 1981, his Office of Communications was an umbrella White House office that oversaw the Offices of Speechwriting, Media Relations, Public Affairs, News Summary, and the Press Secretary, along with the Photo Office.

Gergen left the White House in early 1984 to pursue a career in journalism, both print and television. Gergen’s career in television began in 1985, when he joined the MacNeil Lehrer NewsHour for Friday night discussions of politics. During that period, he was a regular commentator for five years on the NewsHour, providing a conservative viewpoint counter to Mark Shields. His print journalism career as an editor occurred simultaneously. He was the first managing editor of Public Opinion, a magazine affiliated with the American Enterprise Institute, and from 1985–1986, he worked as an editor at U.S. News & World Report.

Gergen also served as a counselor on domestic and foreign affairs for President Bill Clinton and his Secretary of State, Warren Christopher, serving just under one year with President Clinton.

Following his service in the Clinton administration, Gergen resumed his relationship with U.S. News, and served as editor-at-large. In 2000, he published a New York Times bestseller book, Eyewitness to Power: The Essence of Leadership, Nixon to Clinton. In addition, he has also appeared on MSNBC Hardball with Chris Matthews, CBS, and The Colbert Report. Gergen was a Senior Political Analyst for CNN and frequently appeared on Anderson Cooper 360 and The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer. Gergen guested frequently on NPR.

Gergen had been actively involved in higher education. Gergen was a professor of public service at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government and director of its Center for Public Leadership. A Durham native, Gergen had also taught at Duke University from 1995 to 1999. He then became a trustee of Duke University. Gergen served as Elon University's inaugural Isabella Cannon Distinguished Visiting Professor of Leadership and as the Chair of the Elon University School of Law Advisory Board.

Gergen served on many boards, including Teach for America and the Aspen Institute. He was the Chairman of the National Selection Committee for the Ford Foundation’s program on Innovations in American Government. He was an active speaker on leadership and published a second book on the topic in 2022, Hearts Touched with Fire: How Great Leaders Are Made. Gergen was a member of the Washington D.C. Bar, the Council on Foreign Relations, and held 21 honorary degrees. He was a past member of the Bohemian Grove and the Trilateral Commission.

David Gergen died on July 10, 2025 at the age of 83 in a Lexington, Massachusetts senior living facility. His death was caused by Lewy body dementia, his son, Christopher stated.

Ann Wilson Gergen survives her husband along with their two children, Dr. Kathrine Gergen Barnett, Christopher Gergen, and five grandchildren.

Record Type

Textual

Last Modified Date

2025-07-11

WHORM Alpha File

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Gergen, David: Files, 1981-1984

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