Richard Lederer
Author, linguist, and speaker on the English language
Born in 1938, Richard Lederer is an American linguist, author, speaker, and teacher hailed as one of the nation's most prolific and popular commentators on the English language. The youngest of five children, he grew up in West Philadelphia, graduated from Haverford College, and earned an MA from Harvard and a PhD from the University of New Hampshire. A self-described "verbivore," he has written more than 60 books, including his best-selling Anguished English series, and co-founded NPR's "A Way With Words." Nicknamed "Attila the Pun" and "Conan the Grammarian," he was named International Punster of the Year in 1989. At StaRGazing 2027, in a program titled The Lighter Side of American History, he will share bloopers, puns, and presidential stinkers, illuminating the great American adventure.