Gergen, David R. (David Richmond), 1942-

David Richmond Gergen (b. 1942) was a Staff Assistant to the President during the Nixon administration, 1971 to 1972. He reported directly to Raymond K. Price, Director of the Office of Research and Messages. He also served as Special Assistant to the President and chief of the White House writing research team, 1973 to 1974. He continued to work in the White House, under several other administrations: special counsel to the President for communications during the Ford administration, 1975 to 1977; director of the communications staff during the Reagan administration in 1981, and Director of Communications for President Reagan from 1981 to 1984; Counselor to President Clinton from 1993 to 1994; and special advisor to the President and Secretary of State, 1994 to 1995. He also served as a magazine editor for U.S. News & World Report and other publications.

Counselor, special advisor, director of communications, and speech writer to U.S. Presidents Nixon, Ford, Reagan, and Clinton. Gergen has also worked as a journalist, serving as Editor-at-large of U.S. NEWS AND WORLD REPORT and as a regular analyst on the "MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour" and the "NewsHour with Jim Lehrer." A native of Durham, N.C., Gergen graduated from Yale University and the Harvard Law School and served for three-and-a-half years in the U.S. Navy.