Marc Thiessen - Intercollegiate Studies Institute

Marc Thiessen

AUTHOR, COLUMNIST, AND FORMER PRESIDENTIAL SPEECHWRITER, Class of 1989

Things to know about Marc

As a Washington Post columnist, New York Times bestselling author, and former chief White House speechwriter, Marc Thiessen has become, in the judgment of the Daily Telegraph, one of the “100 most influential conservatives in America.” That influential career began back at Vassar College, where he got involved with ISI and the Collegiate Network.

Thiessen edited the student publication the Vassar Spectator (working with Jonathan Karl, now ABC’s chief White House correspondent, and Richard Miniter, author of several bestselling books). By affiliating the Spectator with the Collegiate Network, Thiessen made the paper independent of the college’s often hostile administration. Soon he became a founding editor of ISI’s Campus, a national student publication.

Reflecting on his life and career, Thiessen has said: “I’ve had amazing experiences—from the Pentagon, to traveling to war zones, to working with the president of the United States in the Oval Office and on Air Force One, to writing books and columns for the Washington Post. And it all began with ISI.”

Thiessen maintains a strong connection to ISI. He is a member of the Institute’s board of trustees and speaks at various ISI events and conferences.

I’ve had amazing experiences. And it all began with ISI.