Public servant, trusted mentor, conduit to congressional campaign — and clam bake host
CAMBRIDGE, MA – NOVEMBER 06: David Gergen co-moderates a discussion with United States Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer at the Harvard University Institute of Politics John F. Kennedy School of Government John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum on November 6, 2015 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Paul Marotta/Getty Images Nation & World Public servant, trusted mentor, conduit to congressional campaign — and clam bake host Former students, fellows at Harvard Kennedy School share stories about David Gergen Christina Pazzanese Harvard Staff Writer July 16, 2025 6 min read His was not a typical career in public service writ large. David Gergen advised three Republican presidents (Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan) and one Democrat (Bill Clinton). Gergen, who died July 11 at the age of 83, was also co-founder of the Center for Public Leadership (CPL) and an influential professor of public service at Harvard Kennedy School since the late 1990s. David Gergen (right) with President Ronald Reagan and...