Ronald Harold Nessen (born May 25, 1934) is an American government official who served as the 15th White House Press Secretary for President Gerald Ford from 1974 to 1977. He replaced Jerald terHorst, who resigned in the wake of President Ford's pardon of former president Richard Nixon.
Ron Nessen | |
|---|---|
 Nessen in 2004 | |
| 15th White House Press Secretary | |
| In office September 9, 1974 – January 20, 1977 | |
| President | Gerald Ford |
| Preceded by | Jerald terHorst |
| Succeeded by | Jody Powell |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Ronald Harold Nessen May 25, 1934 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Education | Shepherd University American University (BA) |
Prior to joining the Ford administration, Nessen served as a Washington, D.C. correspondent for NBC News. On the day of Ford's succession to the presidency, August 9, 1974, he provided commentary. That evening he was on the NBC Nightly News; in that piece, Nessen reported on the appointment of Jerald terHorst, the man whom he would succeed one month later.
Nessen, who also served NBC News as a war correspondent during the Vietnam War, was seriously wounded by grenade fragments while on patrol outside Pleiku in the Central Highlands in July 1966. He was with cameraman Peter Boultwood when he was wounded.[1][2]
Nessen was a member of the Peabody Awards Board of Jurors from 1996 to 2003, and served as Chair in 2003.[3]
Quotes
edit- "Nobody believes the official spokesman but everybody trusts an unidentified source."
Works
edit- Nessen, Ron. It Sure Looks Different on the Inside. Playboy Press, 1979. (ISBN 0-87223-500-9)
- Nessen, Ron. The First Lady
- Nessen, Ron. The Hour
- Nessen, Ron and Neuman, Johanna. Death with Honors
- Nessen, Ron and Neuman, Johanna. Press Corpse
- Nessen, Ron and Neuman, Johanna. Knight and Day
Saturday Night Live
editOn April 17, 1976, Nessen was the first political figure to host Saturday Night Live. His episode is also known for having Gerald Ford open the show with the "Live from New York, it's Saturday night!" tagline.[4][2]
On a previous episode, Ron Nessen had been portrayed by Buck Henry.
References
edit- ^ Steinman, Ron, Inside Television's First War: A Saigon Journal (University of Missouri Press, 2002), via books.google.com. Retrieved 2016-01-14.
- ^ a b "NBC's Ron Nessen wounded while on patrol with Charlie Company of 101st Airborne" Archived 2016-03-22 at the Wayback Machine, nbcuniversalarchives.com. Retrieved 2015-08-06.
- ^ "July 1, 1996 – June 30, 1997 ... July 1, 2003 – June 30, 2004 Peabody Board Members" Archived May 18, 2015, at the Wayback Machine, peabodyawards.com. Retrieved 2016-01-14.
- ^ "Saturday Night Live Season 1 Episode 17: Ron Nessen ...", tv.com. Retrieved 2016-01-14.
External links
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