Harry Reasoner
Encyclopedia
Harry Truman Reasoner was an American
journalist for ABC
and CBS
News, known for his inventive use of language as a television
commentator, and as a founder of the 60 Minutes program
.
, Iowa
. He attended West High School in Minneapolis, going on to study journalism
at Stanford University
and the University of Minnesota
. He served in World War II
and then resumed his journalism career with The Minneapolis Times. His novel Tell Me About Women, about a fading marriage, was written partly during his WWII service and was first published in 1946.
in 1948, Reasoner worked for the United States Information Agency
in the Philippines
. When he returned stateside, he went into television and worked at station KEYD (later KMSP
) in Minneapolis. He ran for Minneapolis city council as a Republican in 1949 and garnered 381 votes (4.4 percent). Reasoner then moved to New York
, where he hosted a morning news program called Calendar
on top of doing commentator and special news narration duties.
on Friday, November 22, 1963. Walter Cronkite
and Charles Collingwood
had been switching back and forth to report on the incident for about four hours after Cronkite initially broke the news at 1:40 P.M. EST. Reasoner took over the anchor chair after Collingwood tossed it to him at 5:49 p.m. EST, and opened with the repeat of an announcement by Frank Stanton
, then president of CBS, which had already been relayed by Collingwood:
He later reported on the arrival of Kennedy's
body to Washington D.C. and provided details regarding Lee Harvey Oswald
(who was, at that moment, accused only of killing Dallas Police Officer J.D. Tippit, but not the president until hours later). Reasoner left the desk when Cronkite returned to anchor CBS Evening News
at 6:35 p.m. EST. He reappeared in another studio approximately two hours later, to narrate a special program called 'John F. Kennedy - A Man of This Century', where he talked about Kennedy's career and the new President, Lyndon B. Johnson
, until announcing the conclusion of CBS' coverage for that day. (Reasoner also anchored the final coverage of the next day, with a CBS News special titled 'A Day to Mourn'.)
Reasoner's next appearance came two days later, Sunday, and as he was at the anchor desk, Oswald was shot by Jack Ruby
while being moved in the Dallas City Jail. At that very moment, Roger Mudd
was filing a report from Washington, describing the President's funeral arrangements.
At this point, CBS abruptly cut back to Reasoner at the newsroom anchor desk with breaking news.
At the point CBS picked up KRLD
's live feed of the city jail basement, Oswald was lying on the floor and Dallas Police were apprehending Ruby. KRLD's reporter on the scene, Bob Huffaker, was heard to say "Oswald has been shot, Oswald has been shot". After the ambulance carrying Oswald sped out of the jail en route to Parkland Hospital, KRLD switched back to CBS in New York where Reasoner replayed the tape from the beginning so the viewers could see Ruby shooting Oswald. Several minutes later, he reported that the Dallas Police had released Ruby's name. (Reasoner was not at the anchor desk when Oswald was declared dead, having been replaced by Cronkite.)
to begin the 60 Minutes
newsmagazine
series. On 60 Minutes and elsewhere, he often worked with producer and writer Andy Rooney, who later became a well-known contributor in his own right. In a farewell interview on "60 Minutes" in 2011, Rooney said Reasoner was a great writer in his own right but was lazy, giving Rooney more opportunities to show his writing skills. Rooney and interviewer Morley Safer agreed that Reasoner enjoyed drinking and was "one of the most companionable fellows" they had ever known.
Reasoner joined ABC
in 1970 as co-anchor with Howard K. Smith
(himself a CBS alumnus) of the ABC Evening News, replacing Frank Reynolds
(also a CBS alumnus), who was reassigned as ABC's Washington D.C. correspondent
. This lasted until 1975, when Reasoner became sole anchor; Smith did only commentaries from that time until his 1979 retirement. Later in 1976 Reasoner was given another co-anchor, this time it was recent NBC defector Barbara Walters
. Walters and Reasoner did not enjoy a close relationship; Reasoner not only did not like sharing the spotlight with a co-anchor but was uncomfortable with Walters' celebrity status. It was also widely believed that Reasoner disliked the idea of a woman anchoring the network news, which he denied, saying "I am trying to keep an open mind about it". The arrangement ended in 1978, with both Reasoner and Walters replaced with a three-anchor format. In June of that year, Reasoner returned to CBS and 60 Minutes where he remained until he retired in May 1991.
Reasoner was married twice, to Kathleen Carroll Reasoner for 34 years and then to Lois Harriett Weber. He had seven children by his first marriage. Reasoner died three months after his retirement in 1991 from a blood clot in the brain
received from a fall
at his home in Westport
, Connecticut
. He is interred at Union Cemetery in Humboldt, Iowa
. An editorial cartoon the day after his death showed Reasoner arriving at the Pearly Gates
, with a startled St. Peter
crying, "Oh, no! It's 60 Minutes!"
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
journalist for ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
and CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
News, known for his inventive use of language as a television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
commentator, and as a founder of the 60 Minutes program
60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
.
Biography
Reasoner was born on April 17, 1923 in Dakota CityDakota City, Iowa
Dakota City is a city in and the county seat of Humboldt County, Iowa, United States. The population was 911 at the 2000 census. Dakota City shares its western border with the much larger city of Humboldt.-Geography:...
, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
. He attended West High School in Minneapolis, going on to study journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
and the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
. He served in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and then resumed his journalism career with The Minneapolis Times. His novel Tell Me About Women, about a fading marriage, was written partly during his WWII service and was first published in 1946.
Journalism: CBS News
After going into radio with CBSCBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
in 1948, Reasoner worked for the United States Information Agency
United States Information Agency
The United States Information Agency , which existed from 1953 to 1999, was a United States agency devoted to "public diplomacy". In 1999, USIA's broadcasting functions were moved to the newly created Broadcasting Board of Governors, and its exchange and non-broadcasting information functions were...
in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. When he returned stateside, he went into television and worked at station KEYD (later KMSP
KMSP-TV
KMSP-TV, channel 9, is the Fox-owned-and-operated television station serving the Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota designated market area, owned in a duopoly with MyNetworkTV affiliate WFTC...
) in Minneapolis. He ran for Minneapolis city council as a Republican in 1949 and garnered 381 votes (4.4 percent). Reasoner then moved to New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where he hosted a morning news program called Calendar
Calendar (TV series)
Calendar is a weekday news and information program that aired in the United States on CBS Television from 1961 to 1963.Harry Reasoner and Mary Fickett co-hosted the program. Each show began with Reasoner giving a summary of the latest news and then introducing the topic for the day, which was...
on top of doing commentator and special news narration duties.
JFK Assassination
Reasoner took part in covering the assassination of President John F. KennedyJohn F. Kennedy assassination
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the thirty-fifth President of the United States, was assassinated at 12:30 p.m. Central Standard Time on Friday, November 22, 1963, in Dealey Plaza, Dallas, Texas...
on Friday, November 22, 1963. Walter Cronkite
Walter Cronkite
Walter Leland Cronkite, Jr. was an American broadcast journalist, best known as anchorman for the CBS Evening News for 19 years . During the heyday of CBS News in the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited as "the most trusted man in America" after being so named in an opinion poll...
and Charles Collingwood
Charles Collingwood (journalist)
Charles Collingwood was a television newscaster.Born in Three Rivers, Michigan, Collingwood graduated from Deep Springs College and Cornell University and in 1939 received a Rhodes Scholarship to study at Oxford University. After working in London for United Press, Collingwood was hired by Edward R...
had been switching back and forth to report on the incident for about four hours after Cronkite initially broke the news at 1:40 P.M. EST. Reasoner took over the anchor chair after Collingwood tossed it to him at 5:49 p.m. EST, and opened with the repeat of an announcement by Frank Stanton
Frank Stanton
Frank Nicholas Stanton was an American broadcasting executive who served as the president of CBS between 1946 and 1971 and then vice chairman until 1973. He also served as the chairman of the Rand Corporation from 1961 until 1967.Along with William S. Paley, Stanton is credited with the...
, then president of CBS, which had already been relayed by Collingwood:
He later reported on the arrival of Kennedy's
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
body to Washington D.C. and provided details regarding Lee Harvey Oswald
Lee Harvey Oswald
Lee Harvey Oswald was, according to four government investigations,These were investigations by: the Federal Bureau of Investigation , the Warren Commission , the House Select Committee on Assassinations , and the Dallas Police Department. the sniper who assassinated John F...
(who was, at that moment, accused only of killing Dallas Police Officer J.D. Tippit, but not the president until hours later). Reasoner left the desk when Cronkite returned to anchor CBS Evening News
CBS Evening News
CBS Evening News is the flagship nightly television news program of the American television network CBS. The network has broadcast this program since 1948, and has used the CBS Evening News title since 1963....
at 6:35 p.m. EST. He reappeared in another studio approximately two hours later, to narrate a special program called 'John F. Kennedy - A Man of This Century', where he talked about Kennedy's career and the new President, Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
, until announcing the conclusion of CBS' coverage for that day. (Reasoner also anchored the final coverage of the next day, with a CBS News special titled 'A Day to Mourn'.)
Reasoner's next appearance came two days later, Sunday, and as he was at the anchor desk, Oswald was shot by Jack Ruby
Jack Ruby
Jacob Leon Rubenstein , who legally changed his name to Jack Leon Ruby in 1947, was convicted of the November 24, 1963 murder of Lee Harvey Oswald, the alleged assassin of President John F. Kennedy. Ruby, who was originally from Chicago, Illinois, was then a nightclub operator in Dallas, Texas...
while being moved in the Dallas City Jail. At that very moment, Roger Mudd
Roger Mudd
Roger Mudd is a U.S. television journalist and broadcaster, most recently as the primary anchor for The History Channel. Previously, Mudd was weekend and weekday substitute anchor of CBS Evening News, co-anchor of the weekday NBC Nightly News, and hosted NBC's Meet the Press, and NBC's American...
was filing a report from Washington, describing the President's funeral arrangements.
At this point, CBS abruptly cut back to Reasoner at the newsroom anchor desk with breaking news.
At the point CBS picked up KRLD
KDFW
KDFW, virtual channel 4 , is the Fox owned-and-operated television station in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex designated market area....
's live feed of the city jail basement, Oswald was lying on the floor and Dallas Police were apprehending Ruby. KRLD's reporter on the scene, Bob Huffaker, was heard to say "Oswald has been shot, Oswald has been shot". After the ambulance carrying Oswald sped out of the jail en route to Parkland Hospital, KRLD switched back to CBS in New York where Reasoner replayed the tape from the beginning so the viewers could see Ruby shooting Oswald. Several minutes later, he reported that the Dallas Police had released Ruby's name. (Reasoner was not at the anchor desk when Oswald was declared dead, having been replaced by Cronkite.)
60 Minutes and ABC News
In 1968, Reasoner teamed up with Mike WallaceMike Wallace (journalist)
Myron Leon "Mike" Wallace is an American journalist, former game show host, actor and media personality. During his 60+ year career, he has interviewed a wide range of prominent newsmakers....
to begin the 60 Minutes
60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
newsmagazine
Newsmagazine
A news magazine is a typed, printed, and published piece of paper, magazine or a radio or television program, usually weekly, featuring articles or segments on current events...
series. On 60 Minutes and elsewhere, he often worked with producer and writer Andy Rooney, who later became a well-known contributor in his own right. In a farewell interview on "60 Minutes" in 2011, Rooney said Reasoner was a great writer in his own right but was lazy, giving Rooney more opportunities to show his writing skills. Rooney and interviewer Morley Safer agreed that Reasoner enjoyed drinking and was "one of the most companionable fellows" they had ever known.
Reasoner joined ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
in 1970 as co-anchor with Howard K. Smith
Howard K. Smith
Howard Kingsbury Smith was an American journalist, radio reporter, television anchorman, political commentator, and film actor. He was one of the original Edward R. Murrow boys.-Early life:...
(himself a CBS alumnus) of the ABC Evening News, replacing Frank Reynolds
Frank Reynolds
Frank James Reynolds was an American television journalist for ABC and CBS News.He was a New York-based anchor of the ABC Evening News from 1968 to 1970 and later as the Washington D.C.-based co-anchor of World News Tonight from 1978 until his death in 1983...
(also a CBS alumnus), who was reassigned as ABC's Washington D.C. correspondent
Correspondent
A correspondent or on-the-scene reporter is a journalist or commentator, or more general speaking, an agent who contributes reports to a newspaper, or radio or television news, or another type of company, from a remote, often distant, location. A foreign correspondent is stationed in a foreign...
. This lasted until 1975, when Reasoner became sole anchor; Smith did only commentaries from that time until his 1979 retirement. Later in 1976 Reasoner was given another co-anchor, this time it was recent NBC defector Barbara Walters
Barbara Walters
Barbara Jill Walters is an American broadcast journalist, author, and television personality. She has hosted morning television shows , the television newsmagazine , former co-anchor of the ABC Evening News, and current contributor to ABC News.Walters was first known as a popular TV morning news...
. Walters and Reasoner did not enjoy a close relationship; Reasoner not only did not like sharing the spotlight with a co-anchor but was uncomfortable with Walters' celebrity status. It was also widely believed that Reasoner disliked the idea of a woman anchoring the network news, which he denied, saying "I am trying to keep an open mind about it". The arrangement ended in 1978, with both Reasoner and Walters replaced with a three-anchor format. In June of that year, Reasoner returned to CBS and 60 Minutes where he remained until he retired in May 1991.
Reasoner was married twice, to Kathleen Carroll Reasoner for 34 years and then to Lois Harriett Weber. He had seven children by his first marriage. Reasoner died three months after his retirement in 1991 from a blood clot in the brain
Brain
The brain is the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals—only a few primitive invertebrates such as sponges, jellyfish, sea squirts and starfishes do not have one. It is located in the head, usually close to primary sensory apparatus such as vision, hearing,...
received from a fall
Falling (accident)
Falling is a major cause of personal injury, especially for the elderly. Builders, electricians, miners, and painters represent worker categories representing high rates of fall injuries. The WHO estimate that 392,000 people die in falls every year...
at his home in Westport
Westport, Connecticut
-Neighborhoods:* Saugatuck – around the Westport railroad station near the southwestern corner of the town – a built-up area with some restaurants, stores and offices....
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. He is interred at Union Cemetery in Humboldt, Iowa
Humboldt, Iowa
Humboldt is a city in Humboldt County, Iowa, United States. The population was 4,690 at the 2010 census, gaining 238 people since the 2000 census.- History :...
. An editorial cartoon the day after his death showed Reasoner arriving at the Pearly Gates
Pearly gates
The pearly gates is an informal name for the gateway to Heaven according to some Christian denominations. It is inspired by the description of the New Jerusalem in Book of...
, with a startled St. Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
crying, "Oh, no! It's 60 Minutes!"
External links
- Harry Reasoner's entry in The Des Moines Register "Famous Iowans" section
- A Harry Reasoner commentary from 1971
- Harry Reasoner at Find A Grave
- Photo of Harry Reasoner in 1955 with KEYD from the Minnesota Historical Society
- Brief description of Reasoner's Minneapolis period from the St. Louis Park Historical Society
- Introduction to "Harry Reasoner: A Life in the News" by Douglass Daniel, ISBN 978-0-292-71477-9