THE MAN DESCRIBED by Barack Obama as his “mind reader”, Jon Favreau, will receive an honorary fellowship from a UCD society later today.

Favreau, who worked as Obama’s chief speechwriter on both his 2008 and 2012 election campaigns, will be given the honorary fellowship by the Literary and Historical Society.

Favreau was just 23 when he joined Obama’s staff while the future president was still a US senator and enjoyed a meteoric rise, serving as Head of Speechwriting at the White House during Obama’s first term.

He left in March of last year to set up a consultancy group, Fenway Strategies, with former Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor. Favreau has previously featured among TIME magazine’s ’100 Most Influential People in the World’.

Speaking at the time of his departure last year, Obama said of Favreau: “He has become a friend and a collaborator on virtually every major speech I’ve given in the Senate, on the campaign trail and in the White House.”

Favreau is due to speak to the student society this afternoon at UCD with details of the event available on this Facebook page.

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