FROM THE DIRECTORS' DESK

We round out this year with profound gratitude. In addition to the many big steps forward our team has taken this year to bring a common experience to fellowships at CPL across cohorts and the continued expansion of faculty affiliations, we celebrated the retirement of CPL’s “godfather” David Gergen from the Harvard Kennedy School.

It is impossible to catalogue here all of the ways that David has strengthened the center over his 20+ years of leadership. We are one of the financially strongest centers at the Kennedy School, with relationships and recognition as broad as David’s influence. More than that we are immeasurably grateful for all he has done to support the mission of CPL.

At a dinner in honor of David, friends, family and faculty, including Harvard University Presidents, Harvard Kennedy School deans, and other members of the CPL community offered toasts and testimonials to David’s impact on the school and their lives. Quotes from two of the toasts are below. Most followed a consistent theme: that David exemplifies servant leadership, the kind that aims to leave things better for those who come behind. There were lighter versions of making the point, such as the hilarious remarks of David Rubenstein, the former chair of our Leadership Council, who listed all the reasons he “did not like David Gergen.”

To honor David's commitment to CPL and carry forward his legacy, we are thrilled to launch the David Gergen Summer Fellowship Program. Conceived and supported by scores of his mentees and other graduates, the program has been established in recognition of David's extraordinary commitment to developing the capacity for principled, effective public leadership and in appreciation for the critical role "learning by doing" plays in leadership development. Read more below about the program and application process. And please pass the word to students you believe may be interested in the opportunity.

We are grateful for all that David has done for the Center for Public Leadership, and we are excited to welcome the inaugural class of Gergen Summer Fellows in the new semester.

In community,

Hannah and Deval
Co-Directors, Center for Public Leadership

Toasts in honor of David Gergen

"Thank you, David Gergen. Thank you for everything you've done and everything you've meant, both to our country and to the next generation going forward," Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Click here to view Clinton's video message.

"You have poured your heart and soul and become an indispensable part of [the Kennedy School] in many ways. I am particularly grateful for the way you led and built the Center for Public Leadership into the success it is today," Former Dean of Harvard Kennedy School Joseph Nye.

Transformational Opportunity

David Gergen Summer Fellowship Program

David Gergen's dedication to CPL and its mission to inspire and enhance the capacity for principled, effective public leadership has opened countless doors for students. Building off of David's legacy, we are excited to offer students the David Gergen Summer Fellowship Program. The program enables a select number of students opportunities for experiential learning opportunities and funded summer internships in government or nonprofit service.

"This fellowship program is an opportunity to honor David Gergen and his legacy and impact through service and leadership by creating opportunities for students to have impactful roles in government and nonprofit organizations," says Graves Tompkins, CPL alum, member of the CPL Leadership Council, and Gergen Summer Fellows Mentorship Council.

Click here to learn more about the David Gergen Summer Fellowship Program.

David Gergen Summer Fellowship Application