An Evening with Cokie and Steve Roberts

Distinguished journalists and best-selling authors Cokie and Steve Roberts appeared at the Robert C. Byrd Center for Congressional History and Education on Monday, July 22, 2019 before a sold-out audience that filled the center’s auditorium. In a conversation moderated by Byrd Center Director Emeritus Ray Smock, they discussed their careers and shared insights on the current political trends and issues facing the American press. After fielding questions from the audience, they joined everyone in attendance for a special dinner in the library where engaging discussions continued. ​
​Cokie Roberts is regularly heard on NPR and read through weekly columns written in collaboration her husband. Steve Roberts, a long-time reporter with the New York Times, holds the Shapiro chair in journalism at George Washington University, where, among other courses, he teaches Ethics in Journalism. 
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Cokie and Steve Roberts appearance benefitted the Byrd Center’s Student Internship Program. The fundraiser was planned by a committee of volunteers and the Friends of the Byrd Center, a group that financially supports the Byrd Center and assists the Byrd Center with public programming and outreach. This special event raised $10,000.00, which will fully-fund two internships at the Byrd Center in 2020.
Since 2007, the Byrd Center has provided opportunities for students to gain invaluable professional experience working in the extensive congressional collections housed in the archives. Students learn how to process and preserve historic records, conduct research and assist scholars who visit the center to use the collections, and participate in the day-to-day operation of a public history institution. The accomplishments of these dedicated students is essential to the mission of the Byrd Center. ​
During the Monday evening event, the Byrd Center’s current interns, Abigail Ayers and Michael Mastrianni, were interviewed by Shepherdstown’s The Chronicle and met former West Virginia Congressman Alan Mollohan, whose papers, along with those of his father, Congressman Robert Mollohan, are currently being processed at the Byrd Center. 

​The staff of the center express their gratitude to the planning committee for their time and effort to make this event such a resounding success. Those who made special contributions to this committee included Ray and Phyllis Smock, Lisa Welch, Ann Henriksson, Jack Young, Beth Young, Karen Rice, and Dana Wyatt. 
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(L to R) Abigail Ayers, Congressman Alan Mollohan, and Michael Mastrianni.
Photographs from the Evening with Cokie and Steve Roberts
This fundraiser was sponsored by the Friends of the Byrd Center for the support of the center's student internship program. Click here to learn more about other Friends of the Byrd Center initiatives and to join us for future exclusive events such as An Evening with Cokie and Steve Roberts​.