MCT DirectTim Russert, moderator of NBC’s “Meet the Press” news program, will address the Class of 2007 at their commencement on May 18, 2007.
A renowned political analyst on NBC Nightly News, Russert will return to the University after covering the three presidential debates hosted on campus since 1992.
“We took a person who we thought would be a well noted figure, who would have a sense of current issues facing new graduates, a person [who] would be well known and a person with great accomplishments in the field that they work in,” said Wrighton.
The senior vice president and the Washington bureau chief for NBC News, Russert also hosts a weekly talk show on CNBC called “The Tim Russert Show,” and he frequently is a guest on news shows like “Hardball with Chris Matthews.”
Russert co-hosts NBC’s presidential election night coverage and he is renowned for accurately predicting that the outcome of the 2000 U.S. presidential race would ultimately depend on Florida’s results, a feat that TV Guide named one of the “100 Most Memorable TV Events” in history. According to a 2004 article in the Washington Post, Russert is also credited with coining the terms “red state” and “blue state” to describe states’ political leanings.
At Commencement, Washington University will award Russert his 44th honorary doctorate, this one in humane letters. According to Wrighton, the University has already determined the other recipients of honorary doctorates, but these names will not be announced until later this spring.
In addition, Russert has received several other honors, including an Emmy for his role in covering former President Ronald Reagan’s funeral and a Walter Cronkite Award for his 2000 interview with then presidential candidates George W. Bush and Al Gore.
The announcement was not received with much enthusiasm, as Russert did not appear to have much name recognition among current seniors. For those seniors who did recognize him, response was generally positive, especially considering the political environment surrounding the much-hyped 2008 presidential race.
“I think that, considering the political environment right now, it’s probably a good thing and something that people will be interested in and it’s very topical,” said senior Julia Weissman.
“I think it’s a good idea. I think he’s got familiarity with the campus from the presidential debate,” said senior Robert Mackey. “And his views are sometimes controversial, but he’s a good speaker to have on campus to address current political issues.”
Mackey said that Russert has worthy credentials and he felt that, with time, students would warm up to the idea of having him.
“I think that when people first find out that he is the speaker and they may not know of him, they might be kind of put off by the fact that he’s an unfamiliar name,” said Mackey. “But I think after people do some research into who he is and what he’s done, then I think they’ll feel more comfortable with his credentials and him giving the speech.”
-Additional reporting by Sam Guzik