Newswise — Tim Russert can be described in many ways: top political analyst and journalist, moderator of an award-winning television news show and best-selling author, to name a few. Now Russert can add one more honor to his impressive résumé: keynote speaker at Centre College's 2007 commencement exercises.
Russert will address the audience in Danville, Ky., at Centre's 184th commencement ceremony to be held at the College's Norton Center for the Arts on Sunday, May 20, 2007, at 3 p.m. During the ceremony, Russert will also receive an honorary degree from Centre, one of more than 40 he has received from American colleges and universities over the years.
"We are excited to have Tim Russert as our speaker this spring," says Centre president John A. Roush. "His record as a broadcaster and author has earned him an international reputation. I am confident he will be impressed and inspired by our commencement exercises, a day each year in the life of the College that truly honors those young men and women who leave Centre superbly prepared for their lives of work and service."
Centre student-body president Kevin Duke, a senior English and history double major from Ft. Thomas, Ky., considers Russert's visit an honor for his class' graduation ceremony.
"I'm really excited that such a huge name in the media world is coming to Centre," Duke says. "Centre is really putting itself on the map. My dad is in the newspaper business, and I know he's excited, as well."
For the past 15 years Russert has earned widespread recognition in his role as managing editor and moderator of NBC's Meet the Press, the most-watched Sunday morning interview program in America and the most quoted news program in the world. Now in its 59th year, Meet the Press is the longest-running program in the history of television, and while at the helm, Russert has interviewed every major figure on the American political scene.
Washingtonian Magazine dubbed Russert the best and most influential journalist in Washington, D.C., describing Meet the Press as "the most interesting and important hour on television."
Russert is also a political analyst for NBC Nightly News, the Today Show and other top-rated news shows. He anchors The Tim Russert Show, a weekly interview program on CNBC and is a contributing anchor for MSNBC. Russert also serves as senior vice president and Washington bureau chief of NBC News.
Both of Russert's books—Big Russ and Me (2004) and Wisdom of Our Fathers (2006)—were New York Times number-one best sellers. Big Russ and Me is a memoir of the influence Russert's father had on his life and success. Wisdom of Our Fathers is a collection of letters Russert received from readers recounting relationships between fathers and their sons and daughters.
TV Guide selected Russert's use of the white dry-erase board during NBC's coverage of the 2000 U.S. Presidential Election as one of the "100 Most Memorable TV Moments" in history. While the election still hung in the balance, it was Russert who first predicted in advance that the entire election would hinge on "Florida, Florida, Florida." The Washington Post credits Russert with coining the phrases "red state" and "blue state" to explain the nation's political divide.
In 1995, the National Father's Day Committee named Russert "Father of the Year," Parents magazine honored him as "Dream Dad" in 1998, and in 2001 the National Fatherhood Initiative also recognized him as Father of the Year.
Born in Buffalo, New York, in 1950, Russert is a graduate of John Carroll University and the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. He is admitted to the bar in New York and Washington, D.C. An avid fan of the American football team the Buffalo Bills, Russert usually closes his Sunday broadcasts during the football season with some type of comment supporting the Bills.
Russert is married to Maureen Orth, a writer for Vanity Fair magazine. They live in Washington, D.C., with their son Luke.
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