Walter Cronkite
Broadcast Journalist
Birthdate: Nov 04, 1916
High School: San Jacinto High School
Yearbooks: 1933
Yearbook photos of Walter Cronkite from San Jacinto High School
Walter Leland Cronkite, Jr. (November 4, 1916 – July 17, 2009) was a broadcast journalist. He graduated from San Jacinto High School, in Houston, TX, in 1933. While at San Jacinto, Cronkite was editor-in-chief of the school newspaper and co-editor of the yearbook’s sports department. He also participated in band and Tennis Club, among other activities. Cronkite began his broadcasting career in the mid-1930s as a radio announcer and joined United Press (now UPI) in 1937. He was kept busy during World War II, becoming one of the top U.S. journalists to report on the conflict, and covered both the Battle of the Bulge and the post-war Nuremburg trials. He joined CBS News in 1950 and became the anchorman of the CBS Evening News in 1962, a position he held for 19 years. He almost always closed his broadcasts with the line “And that’s the way it is” (followed by the date). Known as “the most trusted man in America,” Cronkite was the primary reporting source for many of the country’s biggest news events, including the assassination of President Kennedy, the Vietnam War, the first moon landing, and the events of Watergate. After he retired in 1981, Cronkite continued to do special correspondent work for decades as well as voice-over work and occasional TV and film appearances. In 2013, Missouri Western State University dedicated the Walter Cronkite Memorial in his memory.
Awards (partial list):
- George Polk Freedom of The Press Award. 1970
- James Madison Award for Distinguished Public Service. 1972
- Presidential Medal of Freedom. 1981
- NASA Ambassador of Exploration Award. 2006
Source: Wikipedia
