Former presidential adviser Gergen to keynote Krannert event

David Gergen Download Photo

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — David Gergen, CNN senior political analyst and an adviser to four U.S. presidents, will give the keynote address Sept. 26 at the Purdue University Krannert School of Management's 13th annual Leadership Speakers Series.

Gergen, a professor of public service at the Harvard Kennedy School and director of its Center for Public Leadership, speaks often on leadership.

  He joined the Nixon White House in 1971 as a staff assistant on the speech writing team, then went on to work in the Ford administration and as an adviser to the 1980 George H.W. Bush presidential campaign.  

 Gergen served as communications director for Ronald Reagan and as adviser to Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Warren Christopher on domestic and foreign affairs.

 From 1985-1986, he worked as an editor at U.S. News & World Report. His career in television began in 1985 when he joined the MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour on PBS. Today, he appears frequently on CNN as senior political analyst and contributes a monthly column to Parade magazine.

Tickets for the dinner are available to the general public for $100 per person, $75 of which qualifies as a charitable deduction. Net proceeds from the event go to Krannert undergraduate and graduate scholarships. Tickets for Purdue students, faculty, staff and a guest are $25.

Several awards will be presented during the Krannert event, which begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Purdue Memorial Union ballrooms. Those awards are the Krannert Business Leadership Award, Krannert Distinguished Alumni Award, Krannert Distinguished Service Award, John S. Day Distinguished Alumni Academic Service Award and Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship Award.

To reserve tickets for the dinner, contact Lou Underwood, Krannert assistant director of alumni relations and special events, at 765-494-0901, lmunder@purdue.edu. More information about the Leadership Series and this year's event is available at http://www.krannert.purdue.edu/events/LSS/ 

Writer: Judith Barra Austin, 765-494-2432, jbaustin@purdue.edu

Source: Tim Newton, 765-496-7271, tnewton@purdue.edu

Note to Journalists: Media interested in covering the event should contact Tim Newton, Krannert director of external relations, at 765-496-7271, tnewton@purdue.edu. No video or audio taping will be allowed.