CNN Commentator, Harvard IOP Board Member Alice Stewart Remembered for ‘Extraordinary Commitment’ to Students

In the summer of 2023, Alice Stewart — a Republican political adviser and CNN commentator who served on the Institute of Politics Senior Advisory Committee — invited Abigail L. Carr ’25 to go on a walk near Stewart’s home in Alexandria, Virginia.

An Emmy Award-winning journalist, Stewart talked Carr through potential careers in politics, journalism, and law — industries Carr had no personal connections to.

This moment of mentorship was one of many, Carr said.

“Adults — it’s not a bad thing — but they’ll shrug you aside. They don’t necessarily see the gain for them in investing in you,” Carr said. “Alice was always so willing to do that.”

“She so clearly cared about investing in our success,” she added.

Stewart, a longtime presence at the IOP who was known at Harvard for her dedication to students, died early Saturday morning.

Law enforcement officers said Stewart’s body was found outdoors in Virginia’s Bellevue neighborhood and that they believed a medical emergency had caused her death, according to CNN. She was 58.

‘So Kind and Open’

Stewart was born on March 11, 1966, in Atlanta and graduated from the University of Georgia’s Grady School of Journalism. After graduation, Stewart began her career working as a local reporter in Georgia.

Stewart left journalism in 2005 to join Arkansas Governor Mike D. Huckabee as his communications director. When Huckabee later staged a bid for the Republican presidential nomination, Stewart served in the same role for his campaign — a role she would later assume for Republican presidential hopefuls: Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), former Senator Rick J. Santorum, and former Rep. Michele M. Bachmann.

Stewart joined CNN as a political commentator in 2016. She first came to Harvard in 2019 as an IOP resident fellow, a position she held for two semesters before her appointment to the IOP’s SAC in 2021.

Harvard Kennedy School Dean Douglas W. Elmendorf, IOP Director Setti D. Warren, and IOP SAC Chair Michael Nutter wrote in a joint statement that Stewart was “a wonderful guiding influence.”

“She was always engaged and enthusiastic, and she provided consistently valuable advice to strengthen the IOP in serving Harvard College students interested in politics and public service,” they wrote.

Several students who worked closely with Stewart said that despite her impressive professional record, she connected with them on a personal level.

Former IOP President Amen Gashaw ’24 — who served as one of Stewart’s liaisons during her second stint as an IOP fellow in 2020 — recalled that her second meeting with Stewart turned into a game of truth or dare to get to know one another.

Stewart made game nights a tradition for the term, Gashaw said.

“Often with fellows, they’re pretty high profile and can be intimidating to talk to,” Gashaw added. “She was always ready to just make herself approachable.”

IOP Treasurer Saba Mehrzad ’25 called Stewart “so kind and open” and recalled how Stewart did not let her obligations as a commentator divert attention from her students.

When Stewart once received a request to do a TV hit during a scheduled talk with the IOP’s Women’s Initiative and Leadership Group, she did not cancel the event. Instead, Mehrzad said, Stewart gave advice to students who signed up for the event, before she allowed them to watch on as she taped for a live segment on CNN.

“That’s the biggest thing that still sticks out to me — her willingness to incorporate the IOP and incorporate students as much as she possibly could,” Mehrzad said.

‘Huge Asset’ for Conservative Students

In 2021, conservative members of the IOP Student Advisory Committee raised concerns that the organization lacked conservative voices in its programming.

In response, the IOP launched the Conservative Coalition — a hub for right-of-center students. Michael Oved ’25, a co-chair of the group, credited Stewart for helping found the program.

“The Conservative Coalition would not have existed without Alice Stewart,” Oved said.

In addition to helping found a home for conservative IOP members, Stewart played a pivotal role in attracting more conservative voices to speak at Harvard, a university whose faculty and student body leans liberal.

“There’s not always a streamlined path to bringing more conservative speakers to Harvard,” said Carr, who now co-chairs the Conservative Coalition. “She’s navigated that process incredibly gracefully.”

Michael Oved, left, and Alice Stewart. By Courtesy of Michael Oved

The IOP had hoped Stewart could continue to lead the charge on ensuring political diversity within the IOP, especially among its speakers, according to IOP President Pratyush Mallick ’25.

“She was a huge asset for us in making sure that Republican members of Congress were aware and willing to come to the kinds of programming and events that we did,” Mallick said.

Several students said Stewart was a strong supporter of student work and expression. Oved said Stewert personally mentored him and used her connections with high-profile Republicans to platform the work of conservative students at Harvard.

“She’s just always interested in getting conservatives on the national stage involved at Harvard, and getting conservatives at Harvard on the national stage,” Oved said.

Former IOP Director Mark D. Gearan ’78 praised Stewart’s mentorship, saying that her status as a “nationally respected” conservative was a guiding light for “all students, but especially conservative students.”

“Really lifting the Conservative Coalition that we had was really essential,” Gearan said.

‘Taken Care Of’

Stewart’s dedication to students extended beyond her time as an IOP fellow, many undergraduates who knew her said.

“A testament to how committed she was to the students in the IOP was that she tracked all of them so closely, even after they graduated,” said Carine M. Hajjar ’21, who served in IOP leadership while Stewart was a fellow.

Hajjar recalled how Stewart took her out to dinner when she was covering her first presidential rally for the Boston Globe in New Hampshire. Hajjar said she had barely slept or eaten in three days, but after seeing Hajjar’s coverage on X, Stewart checked in on her.

“She took me out to dinner to make sure I got something to eat and just to catch up with me and gave me really valuable advice on how to best report on these types of presidential things,” Hajjar said.

“That’s how I remember Alice,” she added. “It’s just always looking out, not only for career stuff but personally as well — making sure that I was taken care of in that moment.”

Victor E. Flores ’23-’25 and Nadia R. Douglas ’23-’24, who previously served together as the co-chairs of the IOP Fellows and Study Group Program in 2021, wrote in a joint statement that Stewart’s “influence and dedication” shaped their own career paths.

“While we differed politically, her willingness to engage in difficult conversations served to inspire us and our fellow liaisons to continue our advocacy across political lines,” the two wrote.

Gearan said that Stewart’s “rather extraordinary commitment” to students — even beyond Harvard — was part of why the IOP asked her to join SAC.

“She was happy to help to introduce them to people in Washington,” Gearan said. “To use her broad network to tap the individuals that she knew and worked with.”

Carr, the Conservative Coalition co-chair, said it would be hard to imagine the IOP without Stewart and her mentorship.

“We’re not going to be able to replace Alice,” Carr said. “I don’t think you can even use the word replace in the context of Alice Stewart.”

“That’s a loss that’s going to be felt throughout the whole IOP,” Carr added.

—Staff writer William C. Mao can be reached at william.mao@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @williamcmao.

—Staff writer Dhruv T. Patel can be reached at dhruv.patel@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @dhruvtkpatel.