WALTER CRONKITE
1916-2009

AS THE JOURNALISTIC VOICE OF CBS NEWS
FOR TWO TUMULTUOUS DECADES, WALTER
CRONKITE ESTABLISHED AN ON-SCREEN
PERSONA OF UNSCRUPULOUS
OBJECTIVITY. HIS CONVINCING DELIVERY
AND AUTHORITATIVE PRESENCE MADE HIM,
BY THE MEASURE OF ONE 1973 POLL, "THE
MOST TRUSTED FIGURE IN THE UNITED
STATES."

AFTER A STINT IN RADIO THAT ENDED
1939, CRONKITE WAS SENT BY UNITED
PRESS INTERNATIONAL TO COVER THE WAR
IN EUROPE. HIS EXPLOITES INCLUDE
FLYING WITH THE 303 BOMBER GROUP
OVER GERMANY, ABOVE, PARACHUTING
INTO HOLLAND WITH THE 101ST
AIRBONRE, AND LANDING AT NORMANDY
DURING THE INVASTION BY ALLIES.

IN THE EARLY 1950S, CRONKITE MOVED TO
CBS, WHERE HE WAS FIRST ASKED TO
MAKE TELEVISION NEWSCASTS FROM
WASHINGTON, AND THEN, TO HOST A
SERIES OF HISTORICAL PROGRAMS,
LIKE YOU ARE THERE, AND A MORNING
SHOW, ABOVE, LAUNCHED TO COMPETE
WITH NBC'S TODAY SHOW.

CRONKITE'S CAREER EXPANDED WITH THE
MEDIUM. HE WAS RECRUITED BY EDWARD
R. MURROW AND ASKED TO ANCHOR THE
NETWORK'S COVERAGE OF THE POLITICAL
CONVENTIONS. HERE, HE COVERS THE
HISTORIC VISIT OF SOVIET LEADER NIKITA
KHRUSHCHEV TO THE UNITED STATES.

IN 1962, CBS PUT CRONKITE IN THE
ANCHORMAN'S CHAIR OF ITS NIGHTLY
NEWS TELECAST. AS THE PUBLIC FACE OF
WHAT WAS REGARDED AT THE TIME AS THE
NETWORK'S CROWN JEWEL, CRONKITE
ENJOYED THE SUPPORT OF AN 800-
PERSON NEWS TEAM.

CRONKITE REPORTED ON MANY OF THE
CRITICAL EVENTS OF THE SIXTIES. HE
DELIVERED THE NEWS OF JFK'S DEATH,
CHEERED THE SPACE PROGRAM AND
TRAVELED TO VIETNAM, ABOVE, WHERE HE
ULTIMATELY CONCLUDED THAT THE
AMERICAN WAR EFFORT WAS HOPELESS
AND DOOMED.

BY THE LATE SIXTIES, CRONKITE'S
NEWSCASTS HAD OBTAINED A REPUTATION
FOR ACCURACY AND DEPTH, EARNING HIM
THE TRUST OF AMERICA.

IN 1981, CRONKITE ANNOUNCED THAT HE
WOULD STEP AWAY FROM THE ANCHOR'S
CHAIR, THOUGH THAT DID NOT STOP HIM
FROM HOSTING SPECIALS AND
INTERVIEWING WORLD LEADERS FOR CBS.

A NIGHTLY PRESENCE IN MILLIONS OF
AMERICAN HOMES, CRONKITE EARNED THE
NATION'S TRUST BY GIVING VOICE TO ITS
EMOTIONS IN ITS MOST CRITICAL AND
CELEBRATORY MOMENTS. OF HIS WORK,
HE ONCE COMMENTED "ALL MY LIFE I'VE
LUCKED OUT. I CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING
MORE FUN OR MORE WORTH-WHILE THAN
BEING A REPORTER." HE WAS 92.