Biography
An award-winning writer, television producer, and teacher, Geoffrey Cowan is the former dean of the USC Annenberg School (1996-2007). He now holds the Annenberg Family Chair in Communication Leadership, the title of University Professor, and is the current Director of the Center on Communication Leadership and Policy. During the administration of President Bill Clinton, Cowan headed the Voice of America. Then, from 2010 to 2016, Cowan served as the President of the Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands, where he hosted three presidential summits, including the historic meeting in 2013 between President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping of China. Cowan is the author of several popular books, including “Let the People Rule: Theodore Roosevelt and the Birth of the Presidential Primary”, “See No Evil: The Backstage Battle Over Sex and Violence on Television” and the best-selling “The People v. Clarence Darrow: The Bribery Trial of America’s Greatest Lawyer”, and an award-winning play, “Top Secret: The Battle for the Pentagon Papers”.
Cowan is Chair of the LA Committee.