Mark K. Updegrove

Mark K. Updegrove is a presidential historian, author, and media commentator specializing in American history and presidential leadership. Updegrove serves as president and CEO of the LBJ Foundation and as presidential historian for ABC News. In his role with ABC News, he appears regularly on "Good Morning America" and "This Week." He has also appeared on CNN, MSNBC, CBS Sunday Morning, The CBS Evening News, "Face the Nation," "Morning Joe," NBC Nightly News, NPR's "Morning Edition" and "All Things Considered," and PBS NewsHour.

Updegrove began his career in magazine publishing, holding positions such as publisher of Newsweek in New York, president of Time Canada, and Los Angeles manager for Time magazine. He later transitioned to public institutions, serving as the fourth director of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library in Austin, Texas. During his tenure, he supervised an $11 million redesign of the library's core exhibits, resulting in increased visitorship. Updegrove also served as the inaugural CEO of the National Medal of Honor Museum in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina.

At the LBJ Library, Updegrove hosted significant public events, including the Civil Rights Summit, which marked the anniversary of the Civil Rights Act and featured keynote addresses and programs with U.S. presidents and civil rights leaders. He also hosted the Vietnam War Summit, featuring participants such as John Kerry, Henry Kissinger, Ken Burns, Tom Hayden, and Bob Kerrey. Updegrove later hosted the 60th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act Commemoration, with keynote remarks from President Biden.

Updegrove has interviewed seven U.S. presidents and authored six books, including "Make Your Mark: Lessons in Character from Seven Presidents," "The Last Republicans: Inside the Extraordinary Relationship Between George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush," "Second Acts: Presidential Lives and Legacies After the White House," and "Incomparable Grace: JFK in the White House." "The Last Republicans" featured exclusive stories in the New York Times and on CNN. Updegrove was executive producer of the CNN original series "LBJ: Triumph and Tragedy" and hosts the PBS show "Live From the LBJ Library with Mark Updegrove."

As a speaker and moderator, Updegrove draws on his experience interviewing U.S. presidents, first ladies, and global figures such as Mikhail Gorbachev, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sandra Day O'Connor, Henry Kissinger, Condoleezza Rice, James Baker, and John Lewis. He provides insights on presidential leadership, American history, and public affairs. Updegrove is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Philosophical Society of Texas.