Stephen H. Hess passed away on Sunday, January 18, 2026, at the age of 92. A fixture in Washington for more than half a century, Mr. Hess was a trusted presidential adviser, public policy expert, and respected voice in American political life.
Mr. Hess authored The Professor and the President: Daniel Patrick Moynihan in the Nixon White House, drawing on his experience as Moynihan’s deputy to explore the unlikely and consequential working relationship between President Richard Nixon and his top urban affairs adviser, the Ivy League professor Daniel Patrick Moynihan. He also authored or co-authored more than twenty books on public policy and American politics.
Mr. Hess served on the White House staffs of Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and Richard Nixon. He began his career as a speechwriter and later served as national chairman of the White House Conference on Children and Youth from 1969 to 1971, as well as deputy assistant to the President for Urban Affairs in 1969. In 1972, he joined the Brookings Institution, where he remained a leading public policy scholar while continuing to advise presidents and serve as a trusted academic source for the news media.
Mr. Hess spoke at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in 2015 during President Nixon’s annual birthday commemoration and was a regular attendee at Nixon alumni gatherings. His distinguished career reflects a lasting commitment to public service, scholarship, and the advancement of informed civic leadership.
Stephen Hess speaking on his book The Professor and the President at the Nixon Library in 2015.
