Mark Shields at podium speaking, wearing suit with red tie.
Special Events

A Celebration of the Life and Legacy of Mark Shields

This “Celebration of the Life and Legacy of Mark Shields” is an in-person gathering at Georgetown University to bring together Shields’ family, former colleagues, friends, and admirers. We hope you can be with us in Gaston Hall at 4:00 pm on Tuesday, September 27. It will not be livestreamed, but a recording will be available a few days after the celebration. 

Please RSVP and indicate if you will attend in person or if you wish to receive a link to a recording after the gathering.

Mark Shields was defined by his family, Catholic faith, and love of politics. When he died on June 18, 2022, the New York Times described Shields as “a piercing analyst of America’s political virtues and failings, first as a Democratic campaign strategist and then as a television commentator who both delighted and rankled audiences for four decades with his bluntly liberal views and sharply honed wit.”

Georgetown University and the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life are hosting this celebration of Shields’ life and legacy because he modeled the values at the heart of our work: civility and dialogue, respect and humor, human dignity and solidarity, a conviction that politics ought to serve the common good and the “least of these,” and faith that makes the world better. This gathering will bring together his family, friends, colleagues, and admirers to remember, laugh, and reflect on the lessons of his life and work.

Among the members of Shields’ family, colleagues, and friends who will be a part of this celebration are:

  • David Brooks, New York Times columnist and PBS NewsHour commentator
  • Amy Shields Doyle, daughter of Mark Shields
  • Colbert King, Washington Post columnist
  • Amy Walter, Cook Political Report national editor
  • Judy Woodruff, PBS NewsHour anchor

More details will be forthcoming closer to the event date.

Public Health Measures

This gathering will comply with Georgetown’s COVID-19 protection measures, including:

  • Seating in Gaston Hall will be at a reduced capacity.
  • All those who attend must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, or attest to having a medical or religious exemption from being vaccinated.

Recording and Accessibility​

For those who cannot join us in person, the celebration will be recorded and posted online for later viewing.

All in-person accommodation requests should be sent to cathsocialthought@georgetown.edu by September 23. A good-faith effort will be made to fulfill requests.

Photo credit: CNS/Nancy Wiechec