Richard Reeves (1936-2020) was a writer and syndicated columnist who made a number of award-winning documentary films and wrote several books. He also was a former chief political correspondent for The New York Times and a lecturer at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. 

Reeves’ work focused on U.S. politics, and his books include President Nixon: Alone in the White House, President Kennedy: Profile of Power, and President Reagan: The Triumph of Imagination. 

For his writing, Reeves received a number of awards including the American Political Science Association’s Carey McWilliams Award for distinguished contributions to the understanding of American politics. Reeves also earned an Emmy Award for his work on ABC news, the Book of the Year Award from Washington Monthly, the PEN Nonfiction Book of the Year Award, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. 

Reeves received honorary degrees from his alma mater, Stevens Institute of Technology, Drew University, and St. Joseph’s College.

Reeves’ Montgomery Fellowship was part of a series on presidential politics. While on campus, he delivered a lecture titled “Presidential Leadership: Presidents John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, and Ronald Reagan,” and engaged with students and faculty in a number of classes.