Mark Gearan

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Mark Gearan bigraphy, stories - Presidents

Mark Gearan : biography

September 19, 1956 –

Mark Daniel Gearan (born September 19, 1956) is a politician, lawyer and communications expert. Gearan is the current president of Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York.

Other Activities and honors

Gearan is the recipient of 12 honorary degrees. Gearan serves on the boards of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, the Points of Light Foundation, the Annapolis Group, the Corporation for National and Community Service and The Partnership of Public Service.

On April 28, 2003 the Washington Post reported that Gearan’s re-appointment to the board of the Corporation for National and Community Service had been kicked back by the Bush White House. On November 23, 2004, Gearan was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve on the board of the Corporation for National and Community Service., Rochester Business Daily. November 23, 2004. On November 30, 2007 the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reported that Gearan was confirmed on November 16 to another three-year term on the Board of Directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service.

An article by the Associated Press on September 17, 2004, said that in the event of a Kerry win in the 2004 campaign for the presidency, Gearan would be a possible nominee for the post of Secretary of the Interior.

Career in Politics and Government

Gearan’s early interest in politics began when he helped distribute leaflets in Jesuit priest Robert F. Drinan’s campaign for Congress on a strong anti-Vietnam War platform in 1970. "As an eighth-grader growing up in Gardner, I had noticed that a Catholic priest was running for Congress amid the political turmoil of the Vietnam era," said Gearan. "From my early days on a bike leafleting the neighborhoods of Gardner, I graduated to driving the congressman," Gearan added. While an undergraduate at Harvard, Gearan interned in Drinan’s Washington office and worked on Drinan’s re-election campaign in 1978. It was there that Gearan met his future wife, Mary Herlihy, a fellow staffer in Drinan’s office.

Gearan worked as a newspaper reporter for the Fitchburg, Massachusetts Sentinel and Enterprise for one year. After leaving the newspaper, Gearan was chief of staff for U.S. Representative Berkley Bedell of Iowa for three years. Gearan’s first political appointment was in 1983 when Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis appointed Gearan Director of Federal State Relations for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, a post he held until 1988 when Gearan joined Dukakis’ campaign for the Presidency.

1988 Presidential Campaign

When Dukakis ran for the presidency in 1988, Gearan originally had the high profile job of managing Dukakis’ campaign during the crucial Iowa caucuses. When Gary Hart dropped out of the race, the Dukakis campaign replaced Gearan with Hart’s Iowa coordinator and sent Gearan back to Boston to be the campaign’s national headquarters Press Secretary. Although Gearan was disappointed by the decision, he accepted it. "You know, it’s a long life, and there aren’t too many other things in politics but loyalty," he said when asked about the incident.

When Bush announced on August 17, 1992 that he was selecting Dan Quayle as his running mate after previously saying he planned to keep his choice secret until later during the convention, Gearan had one of the sharpest comments. "We learned something about George Bush today. He can’t keep a secret," said Gearan. "and he can’t stand up to the pressure of the right wing." As Dukakis’ Press spokesman, Gearan was frustrated by Republican negative campaigning and supported Dukakis’ decision to respond. "There comes a time when you respond," said Gearan. "The dogs days of August are over." Gearan added that Bush had falsely accused Dukakis of opposing the Stealth bomber and the D-5, a nuclear missile used on the Trident submarine.

After the election Gearan said that one of the mistakes Dukakis made after winning the Democratic nomination was not re-introducing himself to the American people. "One of the big mistakes we made in 1988 was we assumed people knew who Michael Dukakis was," said Gearan. After Dukakis’ defeat, Mr. Gearan returned to run the Massachusetts Office of Federal Relations until 1989. Gearan was Executive Director of the Democratic Governors Association from 1989 to 1992. As executive director of the Democratic Governors Association, Gearan offered George Bush a slogan for his 1992 re-election campaign with a double-entendre: "Bush in ’92. You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet."