In Kansas City, he joined the United Press International in 1937. He would explain later that radio stations at the time did not want people to use their real names for fear of taking their listeners with them if they left. In 1936, he met his future wife, Mary Elizabeth 'Betsy' Maxwell, while working as the sports announcer for KCMO (AM) in Kansas City, Missouri. He entered broadcasting as a radio announcer for WKY in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. CareerĬronkite left college in his junior year, in the fall term of 1935, after starting a series of newspaper reporting jobs covering news and sports. He dropped out in 1935, not returning for the fall term, to concentrate on journalism.

While attending UT, Cronkite had his first taste of performance, appearing in a play with fellow student Eli Wallach. He also was a member of the Houston chapter of DeMolay, a Masonic fraternal organization for boys. He attended college at the University of Texas at Austin (UT), entering in the fall term of 1933, where he worked on the Daily Texan and became a member of the Nu chapter of the Chi Phi Fraternity. He attended elementary school at Woodrow Wilson Elementary School (now Baker Montessori School), junior high school at Lanier Junior High School (now Lanier Middle School) in Houston, and high school at San Jacinto High School, where he edited the high school newspaper. Ĭronkite lived in Kansas City, Missouri, until he was 10, when his family moved to Houston, Texas. Ĭronkite died at his home in 2009, at the age of 92, from cerebrovascular disease.Ĭronkite was born on November 4, 1916, in Saint Joseph, Missouri, the son of Helen Lena (née Fritsche) and Dr. Cronkite is known for his departing catchphrase, 'And that's the way it is', followed by the date of the broadcast. He was the only non-NASA recipient of an Ambassador of Exploration award. space program, from Project Mercury to the Moon landings to the Space Shuttle. He was also known for his extensive coverage of the U.S. Kennedy, civil rights pioneer Martin Luther King Jr., and Beatles musician John Lennon. Cronkite received numerous honors including two Peabody Awards, a George Polk Award, an Emmy Award and in 1981 was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Jimmy Carter.Ĭronkite reported many events from 1937 to 1981, including bombings in World War II the Nuremberg trials combat in the Vietnam War the Dawson's Field hijackings Watergate the Iran Hostage Crisis and the assassinations of President John F. During the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited as 'the most trusted man in America' after being so named in an opinion poll. (November 4, 1916 – July 17, 2009) was an American broadcast journalist who served as anchorman for the CBS Evening News for 19 years, from 1962 to 1981.

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