The Rev. Robert F. Griffin, C.S.C., Award - 2025: Mark Shields ’59

Mark Shields ’59

Mark Shields, born in Weymouth, Massachusetts, in 1937, built a career off of his love for politics and journalism. After graduating from the University of Notre Dame in 1959 with a degree in philosophy, Shields served in the Marine Corps for two years. Following his service, he began a career in politics, working on Capitol Hill and managing political campaigns at the state and national levels. In 1979, he joined the editorial board of the Washington Post and began writing a syndicated column, which he continued to do for 40 years.

During this time, Shields participated in and hosted several political talk shows, including The Capital Gang and Inside Washington. In 1987, he joined the PBS Newshour as a political analyst and continued these appearances every Friday night until his retirement in 2020. Over his career, he covered 12 presidential campaigns, attended 24 national party conventions, and authored a book, On the Campaign Trail, about the 1984 election. 

In addition to his commentary career, Shields taught about U.S. politics and the press at both Georgetown University and the University of Pennsylvania. He was also a fellow at the Harvard Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School. He was a favored commencement speaker during these years and received many honorary degrees from universities throughout the country, yet the one that meant the most to him was from his beloved alma mater, Notre Dame.

Shields and his work earned high praise throughout his career, with awards including the Humanitarian of the Year Award from So Others Might Eat (1996), Washingtonian of the Year by the Washingtonian (2003), and the inaugural Prize for Civility in Public Life, along with PBS Newshour counterpart David Brooks, from Allegheny College (2012). He passed away in 2022 at the age of 85.

“Mark preceded Father Griffin at Notre Dame but shared the latter’s love of the written word and his joy of learning. The Alumni Association has bestowed a great honor on Mark in recognizing his contribution through this award.”