The Aspen Institute mourns the passing of David Gergen, who died on July 10 at the age of 83. Mr. Gergen dedicated his remarkable career to public service, having played an instrumental role as an advisor to Presidents Nixon, Ford, Reagan, and Clinton. He would then go on to become a bestselling author, a highly respected political analyst, and the founding director of the Center for Public Leadership and professor at the Harvard Kennedy School.

At the Aspen Institute, Mr. Gergen served as an active Trustee from 1992-2017 before becoming a lifetime Trustee. We are grateful for his indispensable guidance, particularly his role helping to develop programs at the Aspen Institute to meet the most pressing challenges of our time. He most recently appeared on our stage in 2022, when he spoke with Aspen Institute President and CEO Dan Porterfield about his book on effective leadership, Hearts Touched with Fire.

Our thoughts are with Mr. Gergen’s family and loved ones. For more on his life and legacy, read his biography on the Harvard Kennedy School website.