Peggy Noonan 鈥� Pulitzer Prize-winning听columnist for the Wall Street Journal, speechwriter for President Ronald Reagan听and author of five New York Times best-sellers 鈥� will deliver the principal address and receive an honorary degree at the University听of听Notre Dame鈥檚听174th听commencement ceremony听May 19.
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鈥淧eggy Noonan is universally admired for the stirring prose,听keen insight听and the moral perspective of her commentary on America and the world,鈥� said University President 鈥淚 look forward to welcoming her to Notre Dame听and hearing her address听to our graduates.鈥�
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After working at CBS News鈥� radio division following her graduation from Fairleigh Dickinson University, Noonan joined the Reagan White House in 1984 as a speechwriter. She worked with Reagan on several of his most famous speeches, including the 鈥淏oys of Pointe du Hoc,鈥� delivered on the 40th听anniversary of D-Day, and his address to the nation following the听1986听Challenger space shuttle explosion, in which she drew upon poet John Magee鈥檚 words about aviators who 鈥渟lipped the surly bonds of earth 鈥� and touched the face of God.鈥� The latter听was ranked among听the top 10 political speeches of the 20th听century, and 鈥淧ointe du Hoc鈥� is considered one of the听century鈥檚听top 60 speeches of any kind.
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鈥婦uring Vice President George H.W. Bush鈥檚 1988 run for the presidency, Noonan worked with him on his acceptance speech, in which he spoke of 鈥渁 kinder, gentler nation鈥� and 鈥渁 thousand points of light.鈥�
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鈥婲oonan also worked听in听a fictional White House as a consultant on NBC鈥檚 television drama 鈥淭he West Wing.鈥�
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鈥婼ince 2000, Noonan has written a political column titled 鈥淒eclarations,鈥� which is published听weekly听in the weekend Wall Street Journal. She听was awarded听the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for distinguished commentary for 鈥渞ising to the moment with beautifully rendered columns that connected readers to the shared virtues of Americans during one of the nation鈥檚 most divisive political campaigns.鈥�
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She is the author of nine books on American politics, history and culture and is one of听10听historians and writers who contributed essays on the American presidency for the book 鈥淐haracter Above All.鈥�
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鈥婨arly in her career, Noonan听was听an adjunct professor of journalism at New York University, and she has served as a fellow at Harvard University鈥檚 Institute of Politics and an instructor of history at Yale University.
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鈥婽he 2019 University听Commencement Ceremony听will听be held听in听Notre Dame Stadium.