A contributing editor from The Wall Street Journal...

Peggy Noonan

Peggy Noonan is the best-selling author of six books on American politics, history and culture. She is a contributing editor of The Wall Street Journal, a weekly columnist for the Journal’s editorial page website, and a political commentator on MSNBC and NBC. She was nominated for a 2002 Emmy Award for the writing of the post-9/11 television special America: A Tribute to Heroes, and has been an advisor on the television drama The West Wing. She is a member of the board of the Manhattan Institute. Her most recent books include A Heart, A Cross and a Flag, published by Viking Penguin, and When Character Was King: A Story of Ronald Reagan. Her first book, What I Saw at the Revolution was called "A love letter to the American political process" by Time magazine.

Noonan is the holder of honorary degrees from Saint Francis College, Adelphi University, St John Fisher College and her alma mater, Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Noonan has won many awards, but she can never remember what their names are. However, she insists she won them, and made a charming speech when she received them.

In 1996 Noonan was one of ten historians and writers asked to contribute essays on the American presidency for the book, “Character Above All.” In 1995 she wrote and hosted a PBS series on the debate over American values.

Noonan was a special assistant to President Ronald Reagan from 1984 to 1986. In 1988 she was chief speechwriter for George Bush when he ran for the presidency.

Before entering the Reagan White House, Noonan was a producer at CBS News in New York, where she wrote and produced Dan Rather’s daily radio commentary. She also wrote television news specials for CBS News. As editorial and public affairs director at WEEI-AM, the CBS owned station in Boston. In 1978 and ‘79 she was an adjunct professor of journalism at New York University.

She lives now in Brooklyn, New York, which is where she was born. She hopes this resume strikes the right tone of modesty even as it attempts to hit you over the head with her importance.

2004 Power Players Week player (2004-05-10).

Charity: The Sisters of Life.