Ken Bridges/Contributing Writer
For years, he was considered to be the most trusted man in America. Texan Walter Cronkite became the face of the news for millions of Americans as television news began to make its appearance and to make an impact on the nation’s consciousness. As one of the most well-known journalists in the nation, Cronkite helped guide television viewers through the some of the most important news events of the 1960s and 1970s.
Cronkite was born in St. Joseph, Mo., in 1916. His father was a dentist. He was interested in the news at an early age. While the family lived in Kansas City for a time, he had a job delivering newspapers. The family moved to Houston in 1926 where Cronkite had an active childhood with school and as a member of the Boy Scouts. His interest in journalism expanded while at San Jacinto High School when he became editor of the school newspaper.
In 1933, he enrolled at the University of Texas. He was very active at The Daily Texan, the university’s own newspaper. At the same time, he also wrote part-time with The Houston Post. In 1935, he left UT to take a full-time job writing for a wire service and for the now-defunct Houston Press. Shortly afterward, he became a radio announcer in Kansas City; and by 1937, he landed a job with the United Press wire service.
During World War II, he reported Nazi air raids over London, Allied invasions, and the progress of troops on the ground. After the war, he covered the Nuremberg war crimes trials. In 1950, famed journalist Edward R. Murrow convinced him to work for CBS News.
On April 9, 1962, Cronkite became the anchor for the 15-minute nightly news report by CBS, called simply Walter Cronkite with the News. In September 1963, the newscast was expanded to 30 minutes, the first to do so, and was rechristened the CBS Evening News. Cronkite marked the occasion with an interview with President John F. Kennedy on the broadcast. The nation grew to enjoy Cronkite’s distinctive voice and broadcast style as he signed off each night’s broadcast by declaring, “And that’s the way it is.”
He covered many tragedies. He later recalled how difficult it was to maintain his composure when reporting the death of President Kennedy in 1963. However, he was criticized for a 1968 report in which he stated that the U. S. should end the war in Vietnam.
Many advances in technology came during Cronkite’s tenure. In 1965, the CBS Evening News first broadcast in color, a move that became permanent in 1966. By the late 1960s, live interviews and reports from across the globe were broadcast by satellite. He was known for his attention to detail and his intense curiosity. He was widely respected by his colleagues and became a mentor of sorts for two other rising journalists and fellow Texans at CBS News, Dan Rather and Bob Schieffer.
He was overwhelmed by the developments in the American space program and excitedly reported the achievements of the space program and the Apollo moon landings. In appreciation for his support, NASA gave Cronkite a moon rock sample, which he in turn donated to the University of Texas.
In 1980, he announced he was stepping down as anchor of the CBS Evening News as CBS had a mandatory retirement age of 65 at that time. His final broadcast was in March 1981.
Though 65, Cronkite was far from ready to retire. Over the next two decades, he continued to host documentaries and programs for CBS and other networks. He wrote voraciously on current events with a nationally-syndicated column. He was an outspoken supporter of civil liberties issues as well as press freedom issues. In 1997, he published his autobiography, A Reporter’s Life.
Cronkite died in 2009 at age 92, celebrated across the nation for his achievements in journalism as a respected voice for unfolding world events.
Dr. Ken Bridges is a proud father, professor, native Texan, and author of seven books. His columns appear in 85 newspapers. He can be contacted by e-mail at drkenbridges@gmail.com.