Robert X. Browning

Robert X. Browning serves as Professor of Communication and Political Science at Purdue University while directing the C-SPAN Archives, a groundbreaking initiative he founded in 1987. After completing his education at Marquette University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he earned his Ph.D. in Political Science, he joined Purdue University in 1981. As the founding director of the C-SPAN Archives, he transformed political research by creating a comprehensive digital library of over 120,000 hours of public affairs programming, earning the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award in 2010 and the Golden Beacon Award for excellence in communication. His academic work spans American politics, congressional studies, and media analysis, with significant publications including "Politics and Social Welfare Policy in the United States" and multiple edited volumes on C-SPAN Archives research. Currently serving as Executive Director of the C-SPAN Archives and Director of the Center for C-SPAN Scholarship & Engagement, he continues to teach courses on U.S. Congress and media politics while leading research initiatives on congressional floor behavior and public affairs coverage. His leadership has established the Archives as an invaluable resource for scholars, educators, and the public, preserving and providing access to decades of political history through the C-SPAN Video Library.