Nessen, Ron, 1934-....

Ronald Harold Nessen was born on May 25, 1934 in Washington, D.C. From 1952 to 1954, he was a student at Shepherd College in Shepherdstown, West Virginia and a radio newscaster for WEPM in Martinsburg, West Virginia. From 1954 to 1955 he was a radio newscaster for WARL in Arlington, Virginia, and from 1955 to 1956 he was a writer for the Montgomery County Sentinel in Rockville, Maryland. He was a part-time student at American University from 1954 to 1959, and graduated with a B.A. in 1959. He worked as a reporter and editor for United Press International in Washington, D.C., 1956 to 1962, and he was a television news corespondent for NBC News from 1962 to 1974. During this time he served as White House correspondent, 1962 to 1965, foreign correspondent in Vietnam and other countries, and news reporter covering such topics as the 1968 election, urban affairs, and the vice presidency, 1973 to 1974. In 1974, Nessen became Press Secretary to the President, and served in this position in the Ford White House until 1977. After leaving the White House, Nesses worked as a freelance writer and lecturer from 1977 to 1980. From 1980 to 1984, he was Senior Vice President of Marston & Rothenberg Public Affairs in Washington, D.C., and Senior Associate at Robert Marston & Associates in New York. He was Vice President of the Mutual Broadcasting System from 1984 to 1992, and after 1992 he served as Vice President for Public Affairs and Communications at the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association.