Chris Matthews is the host of MSNBC's Hardball, a current events talk show. He is also a nationally syndicated columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle and the author of two political books. Mr. Matthews covered the opening of the Berlin Wall in Germany; the first all-races election in South Africa; and the peace referendum in Northern Ireland. Before entering the world of journalism, Mr. Matthews served as a White House aide and speechwriter for President Jimmy Carter and as a senior aide to House Speaker Thomas P. O'Neill, Jr. (D-MA). He will be at the Institute of Politics October 23-25, 2001.