Bob Levey

Award-winning journalist

Bob Levey is a prize-winning journalist who has covered the Washington scene since the Johnson Administration.

For 23 years, he wrote a daily column, "Bob Levey's Washington," for The Washington Post. The column looked at all aspects of life in the Nation's Capital. It won major awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and the Washington Journalism Review.

Seven times, Bob Levey was named one of the most popular columnists in Washington by Washingtonian magazine. Earlier in his 36-year career at The Post, Bob Levey covered Presidential politics, Congress, local news and sports.

In 1999 Bob Levey was named a Washingtonian of the Year by Washingtonian magazine in recognition of his community service through his column and as a hands-on volunteer.

Bob Levey has also had an extensive career in the electronic media. Over the course of more than 20 years, he worked for nine radio stations, four TV stations and one popular Internet site as a commentator and talk show host. Levey was voted the 1994 Radio Talk Show Host of the Year in the Washington market. In 1996, he was named one of the most important radio talk show hosts in America by Talkers Magazine. His on-line chats for washingtonpost.com, called "Levey Live," won consistently high ratings.

Bob Levey was born and raised in New York City. He escaped at a tender age to attend The University of Chicago, where he earned a bachelor's degree with special honors in English. He has spoken to college, business and social groups all over the country. He is currently Hardin Chair of Excellence in the Department of Journalism at The University of Memphis. He also writes monthly columns for the Chronicle of Philanthropy, Bethesda Magazine and Senior Beacon Newspapers.

In 2000, Washington Post Books published Washington Album: A Pictorial History of the Nation's Capital, a 200-page illustrated history of the local city. Levey co-authored the book with his wife, Jane Freundel Levey, a historian. Levey is the author of two other books, one a collection of columns, the other a look at local Washington.

In his spare time, Bob Levey has been a semi-professional folk singer, a union president and a seven-time regional champion tournament bridge player. He and his wife are the parents of two children, Emily and Alexander.