Galas honoring political strategist and scholar Bob Shrum raise nearly $1M in support of civil discourse

Legendary Democratic speechwriter and political strategist Bob Shrum, director of the Center for the Political Future (CPF) at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, will retire at the end of 2026. 

In advance of his departure, USC Dornsife held two galas, one in Los Angeles and one in Washington, D.C., to toast Shrum’s achievements. Collectively, the events raised nearly $1 million to benefit CPF.

It was a fittingly bicoastal and bipartisan series of fêtes for a man whose career was first forged in D.C. political campaigns before he headed to USC to advance civil approaches to politics.

In both cities, politicians, strategists, fellow speechwriters and alumni gathered to reflect on a long career that, while always fiercely in support of the Democratic Party, was also marked by good faith friendships with political rivals.

“Shrum knew that opponents were not enemies, and that we needed everybody at the table of democracy if we were going to honor the Constitution and the values that we all share,” said John Kerry, former senator and secretary of state whose 2004 presidential bid was aided by Shrum, at the D.C. event. Shrum’s aptitude for alliance-building was evidenced by the fact that nearly all the speakers at his Los Angeles gala were Republicans.

It was Shrum who recruited Mike Murphy, a long-time Republican strategist and Shrum’s frequent opponent on the campaign trail, to become co-director of CPF.

Under their leadership, CPF has become a hub of bipartisan political discussion and education, unusual for college campuses these days. Events and conferences host politicians and intellectuals who advance a wide range of ideas. The CPF Fellows program brings in diverse politicians and thinkers, where students get to learn from those with hands-on experience in the political trenches.

Such efforts are training the next generation of policy makers in the art of cross-aisle persuasion and alliance-building. Already, students who have benefited from CPF’s approach are bringing this ethos into their careers in politics, education and more. Will Erens, who graduated from USC Dornsife in 2025 with a degree in political economy, is now pursuing his law degree at Georgetown University.

“As a relative conservative at a university, my views were often in the minority [at USC]. The communication skills I collected from the fellows enhanced my ability to articulate and persuade colleagues,” said Erens. “As Shrum’s vision foresaw, not only am I more knowledgeable about the political system, but I’m more aware of the spirit of American democracy.”

CPF Managing Director Kamy Akhavan highlighted the lasting impact Shrum has had since joining USC Dornsife in 2014. 

“He’s been called the ‘poet of American politics’ and one of the great campaigners in U.S. history,” Akhavan said. “He brought those top shelf talents to USC along with his incredible teaching and civil discourse skills. His impact at USC will be felt far beyond his tenure.”