A Masterclass in Speechwriting
Terry Szuplat, a former foreign policy speechwriter for President Barack Obama, gave a presentation to a packed room and large online audience September 26th. Hosted by Fletcher and the Edward R. Murrow Center, Szuplat read excerpts from his new book Say It Well: Find Your Voice, Speak Your Mind, Inspire Any Audience. He also took questions from students and shared stories of traveling with Obama to over 40 countries.
Presidential speeches like those authored by Szuplat were among of the earliest forms of U.S. public diplomacy, powerful devices that enable American leaders to communicate directly to foreign audiences. Across 250 years of American diplomacy, they remain a constant and much-scrutinized tool.
During the event, Szuplat shared a photo from his time as an intern in the Clinton White House in 1994, when he began his journey in presidential speechwriting. In an amusing coincidence, Dean Kelly Sims Gallagher then realized she was in the photo as well – a fellow member of the 1994 intern class.
