Mark Shields, a political writer, and pundit died of renal disease on Saturday, June 18. He passed away at the age of 85. In a tweet, Judy Woodruff, the host of Newshour, confirmed the story.
“I regret to inform you that…
Mark Shields, the esteemed Friday night analyst for the @NewsHour who wowed us for decades with his encyclopedic knowledge of American politics, sense of humor, and most importantly, his big heart, passed away at the age of 85 with his wife Anne at the side.
Every conceivable fact about Mark Shields
Born on May 25, 1937, Mark Stephen Shields is best recognized for his political analysis and commentary on the PBS NewsHour since 1988. Prior to 2013, he was a frequent participant on Inside Washington and a moderator and panelist on CNN’s weekly political talk show Capital Gang.
The Weymouth, Massachusetts native graduated from Notre Dame University in 1959. In Florida in 1960, he joined the United States Marine Corps and climbed to the rank of Lance Corporal before being discharged in 1962.
In 1968, he joined Robert F. Kennedy’s presidential campaign after moving to Washington in 1965 and serving as an assistant to Wisconsin Senator William Proxmire. He worked on the presidential campaigns of Edmund Muskie and Morris Udall and was the political director for Sargent Shriver.
In 1975, he supervised state and municipal elections in various states in addition to Mayor Kevin White’s re-election campaign. In 1979, he began writing an editorial column for The Washington Post.
Shields also taught American politics and journalism at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy. Mark was a Harvard Institute of Politics Kennedy School of Government fellow.
In 1988, he began appearing on PBS NewsHour as a political analyst. The program is currently broadcast on around 350 PBS member stations and is renowned for its coverage of current events and issues.
2020 was confirmed as Shields’ last year on the program by Judy Woodruff. Woodruff also indicated that Shields will continue to make occasional appearances on NewsHour during important political events. Additionally, Mark wrote On the Campaign Trail, a book on the presidential campaign of 1984.
Twitter users commemorate
Mark Shields gained widespread recognition as a result of his appearance on the PBS NewsHour. After his death, people expressed their sorrow on Twitter.
Shields is survived by his wife, Anne Hudson Shields, daughter Amy, and two grandchildren. His relatives have not yet issued an official statement, and more details concerning his funeral have not yet been disclosed.
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