The Benton Foundation mourns the loss of Bob Edgar, the President and CEO of Common Cause, who died prematurely on Tuesday. He was a gentle and determined advocate for justice and human rights. I first met him in connection with his leadership in fighting for the victims of Agent Orange in Vietnam, both our soldiers and the Vietnamese people. It was one of his proudest accomplishments as a Congressman from Pennsylvania.
We applaud his understanding of the interrelationship between media and democracy and his commitment to Michael Copps, FCC Commissioner between 2001 and 2011, as the leader of a new unit at Common Cause to advocate for a deeper public understanding of the relationship between media reform and democracy reform. Bob created a new vision for Common Cause and leaves a great legacy for the organization.
We will miss Bob and send our condolences to his family.