Political Scientist, Author, Presidential Scholar
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Key moments and achievements from Stephen Hess's life.
Stephen was born
· Washington, D.C., United States
Government Service
Stephen Hess served on President Dwight D. Eisenhower's White House staff, beginning a lifetime of engagement with the American presidency. This early experience in government gave him firsthand insight that would inform decades of scholarly work on the presidency and Washington politics.
Government Service
Stephen Hess served on President Dwight D. Eisenhower's White House staff, beginning a lifetime of engagement with the American presidency. This early experience in government gave him firsthand insight that would inform decades of scholarly work on the presidency and Washington politics.
Government Service
Hess served on President Richard Nixon's White House staff and later advised Presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter. His bipartisan service across multiple administrations gave him a unique perspective on the presidency as an institution rather than a partisan office.
Government Service
Hess served on President Richard Nixon's White House staff and later advised Presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter. His bipartisan service across multiple administrations gave him a unique perspective on the presidency as an institution rather than a partisan office.
Academic Career
In 1972, Hess joined the Brookings Institution, where he would spend more than 50 years as a senior fellow in the Governance Studies program. Brookings became his professional home for path-breaking research on the presidency, media, and American government.
Academic Career
In 1972, Hess joined the Brookings Institution, where he would spend more than 50 years as a senior fellow in the Governance Studies program. Brookings became his professional home for path-breaking research on the presidency, media, and American government.
Academic Achievement
Hess broke important ground in political science by studying the presidency as an institution — its organization and structure — rather than focusing on individual presidents. Beginning in the late 1970s, he turned his attention to examining the role of the press in American politics, producing path-breaking studies on the Washington press corps and government press officers.
Academic Achievement
Hess broke important ground in political science by studying the presidency as an institution — its organization and structure — rather than focusing on individual presidents. Beginning in the late 1970s, he turned his attention to examining the role of the press in American politics, producing path-breaking studies on the Washington press corps and government press officers.
Published Work
In 2018, Hess published his autobiography "Bit Player: My Life with Presidents and Ideas," reflecting on his decades of experience at the intersection of politics, media, and scholarship. His other notable works included "American Political Cartoons: The Evolution of a National Identity" (2010) and numerous books on the presidency and press.
Published Work
In 2018, Hess published his autobiography "Bit Player: My Life with Presidents and Ideas," reflecting on his decades of experience at the intersection of politics, media, and scholarship. His other notable works included "American Political Cartoons: The Evolution of a National Identity" (2010) and numerous books on the presidency and press.
Stephen Hess passed away
