Bob Schieffer Slated for Commencement

Published: February 06, 2017 | Read Time: 2 minutes

Emmy-award winning political commentator and TV journalist Bob Schieffer is slated to be Southern Utah University’s 2017 Commencement speaker. Schieffer will address the graduating class on Friday, April 28.

For more than four decades, Schieffer has worked for CBS News covering every political convention since the 1968 Democratic Convention and 14 Presidential inaugurations. Schieffer is an experienced political insider known for asking tough questions while remaining calm, gracious and fair. Schieffer retired in 2015, but returned to CBS in 2016 to serve as a political contributor through the 2017 Inauguration.

Doug Bennett, chair of SUU’s political science department, requested that the University extend the invitation to Schieffer.

“I'm pleased to welcome my friend, Bob Schieffer, and his wife, Pat, to SUU to deliver the 2017 Commencement Address. In his 40 years at CBS Bob has covered the White House, Congress, Pentagon and State Department; he knows Washington like few others. I’m delighted our students will benefit from his insight and counsel,” said Bennett.

During the span of his career, Schieffer has interviewed every United States President since Richard Nixon, as well as many presidential nominees. For 24 years he anchored Face the Nation, one of the highest-rated Sunday public affairs broadcasts. He also worked as weekend anchor with the CBS Evening News for 26 years.

SUU President Scott L Wyatt said the choice was inspired by the 2016 election.

“To have the person described as 'America’s favorite Washington correspondent' address our graduating students, right on the heels of the most interesting presidential campaign in recent history, is an enormous honor. Most of our students went to the polls last November for the very first time and the timing of Bob Schieffer’s visit could not be better. We are extremely grateful.”

Winner of eight Emmys, Schieffer has earned nearly every award in broadcast journalism including the Overseas Press Club Award, the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence, the Paul White Award presented by the TV News Directors Association, was named a Living Legend by the Library of Congress and was inducted into the National Academy of Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame.

He is the author of four books: The New York Times bestsellers This Just in and Bob Schieffer's America. He also wrote Face the Nation: My Favorite Stories from the First 50 Years of the Award-winning News Broadcast and The Acting President.

Schieffer was an influential anchor who didn’t shy away from controversial topics and was one of the last “old school” TV reporters to retire. His strong reputation for journalistic sensibilities has left a legacy in broadcast journalism.

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