Murrow's Boys
Encyclopedia
Murrow’s Boys, or “The Murrow Boys,” were the CBS
broadcast journalists most closely associated with Edward R. Murrow
during his years at the network, most notably the years before and during World War II
.
Murrow recruited a number of newsmen and women to CBS during his years as a correspondent, European news chief and executive. The "Boys" were his closest professional and personal associates. They also shared Murrow’s preference for incisive, thought-provoking coverage of public affairs, abroad and at home.
, and who set the highest standards for radio and later TV journalism. Murrow recruited most of them, and mostly from wire services. Their story is the subject of the 1996 book The Murrow Boys, by Stanley Cloud and Lynne Olson.
The original Boys, and some of their notable CBS beats during the war, included:
Of the original Boys, Hottelet would end up having the longest career at CBS, joining the network in 1944 and continuing to work at the network until 1985. He is the lone surviving member of the original group.
, Douglas Edwards
, John Charles Daly
, Paul Manning, George Moorad and Betty Wason
. Also included is Edwin Hartrich, who worked under Bill Shirer in Berlin and broadcast daily on CBS through most of 1940; and Ned Calmer
, who joined the CBS team in 1940 after working for the European editions of the Chicago Tribune
and the New York Herald
.
They include:
Murrow tried to recruit Cronkite away from UP for CBS during the war
and did after the war was over.
Dan Schorr stayed with CBS News until 1976. He later joined the Cable News Network, and was a senior news analyst for National Public Radio, often delivering commentaries in the Murrow mold, until his death on July 23, 2010.
Kalb, the last journalist recruited by Murrow to CBS, was joined by his brother Bernard at the network in the 1960s and 70s. The Kalbs later moved on to NBC. Marvin Kalb is now a Fox News contributor and is now a Washington-based senior fellow for Harvard University
.
Many journalists, including some at CBS, include these "post-war" associates in the group of Boys, though authors Cloud and Olson limited their own list to the World War II crew.
Friendly later became CBS News president and even later taught at Columbia University
, introducing the Murrow standards to generations of young journalists. Hewitt later worked closely with Williams and Wershba during the early years of 60 Minutes.
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...
broadcast journalists most closely associated with Edward R. Murrow
Edward R. Murrow
Edward Roscoe Murrow, KBE was an American broadcast journalist. He first came to prominence with a series of radio news broadcasts during World War II, which were followed by millions of listeners in the United States and Canada.Fellow journalists Eric Sevareid, Ed Bliss, and Alexander Kendrick...
during his years at the network, most notably the years before and during 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...
.
Murrow recruited a number of newsmen and women to CBS during his years as a correspondent, European news chief and executive. The "Boys" were his closest professional and personal associates. They also shared Murrow’s preference for incisive, thought-provoking coverage of public affairs, abroad and at home.
The Original "Boys"
The journalists most often cited as Murrow’s Boys are those who worked for and with him covering the war for the CBS Radio NetworkCBS Radio Network
The CBS Radio Network provides news, sports and other programming to more than 1,000 radio stations throughout the United States. The network is owned by CBS Corporation, and operated by CBS Radio ....
, and who set the highest standards for radio and later TV journalism. Murrow recruited most of them, and mostly from wire services. Their story is the subject of the 1996 book The Murrow Boys, by Stanley Cloud and Lynne Olson.
The original Boys, and some of their notable CBS beats during the war, included:
- William L. ShirerWilliam L. ShirerWilliam Lawrence Shirer was an American journalist, war correspondent, and historian, who wrote The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, a history of Nazi Germany read and cited in scholarly works for more than 50 years...
, who covered the rise of Nazi GermanyNazi GermanyNazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
for CBS from 1937 until the end of 1940 and later wrote a successful memoir about the years, Berlin DiaryBerlin DiaryBerlin Diary is a first-hand account of the rise of the Third Reich and its road to war, as witnessed by the American journalist William L. Shirer...
. His 1,245 page history, The Rise and Fall of the Third ReichThe Rise and Fall of the Third ReichThe Rise and Fall of the Third Reich is a 1960 non-fiction book by William L. Shirer chronicling the general history of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945...
, is still in print, based largely upon captured documents, the diaries of propaganda minister Joseph GoebbelsJoseph GoebbelsPaul Joseph Goebbels was a German politician and Reich Minister of Propaganda in Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945. As one of Adolf Hitler's closest associates and most devout followers, he was known for his zealous oratory and anti-Semitism...
and General Franz HalderFranz HalderFranz Halder was a German General and the head of the Army General Staff from 1938 until September, 1942, when he was dismissed after frequent disagreements with Adolf Hitler.-Early life:...
. Additional major sources include testimony and evidence from the Nuremberg trialsNuremberg TrialsThe Nuremberg Trials were a series of military tribunals, held by the victorious Allied forces of World War II, most notable for the prosecution of prominent members of the political, military, and economic leadership of the defeated Nazi Germany.... - Eric SevareidEric SevareidArnold Eric Sevareid was a CBS news journalist from 1939 to 1977. He was one of a group of elite war correspondents—dubbed "Murrow's Boys"—because they were hired by pioneering CBS newsman Edward R. Murrow....
, who covered the fall of France and the Blitz of London, later covering the war's progress in Great Britain, Italy, Germany and Asia - Tom GrandinTom GrandinThomas "Tom" Grandin was an American broadcast journalist during WWII. He, along with several other reporters, were known as "Murrow's Boys". Grandin was born in Cleveland, Ohio.- Early career :...
, a scholar who covered the fall of France before abruptly leaving CBS in 1940 - Larry LeSueurLarry LeSueurLarry LeSueur , born Laurence Edward LeSueur, was an American journalist, who was a war correspondent during World War II. He worked closely with Edward R. Murrow and was one of the original Murrow's Boys. He died in 2003 after a long battle with Parkinson's disease.-Early life:Larry LeSueur was...
, who covered the Blitz, the German battle against the Soviet Union, and key World War II fighting in France - Charles CollingwoodCharles 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...
, who covered the Blitz and World War II fighting in North Africa and France - Howard K. SmithHoward K. SmithHoward 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:...
, who covered Germany before Pearl Harbor and later reported from Switzerland and France - Winston BurdettWinston BurdettWinston Burdett was an American broadcast journalist and correspondent for the CBS Radio Network during World War II and later for CBS television news. He was born in Buffalo, New York. From 1937-1942 he was involved with the Communist Party...
, who covered Eastern Europe, North Africa and Italy - Bill DownsBill DownsWilliam Randall "Bill" Downs was a Kansas City-born American broadcast journalist for CBS Radio from 1942 to 1962.-During the War:...
, who covered Russia, France and Germany - Mary Marvin Breckinridge, the only woman among the first generation of Boys, who covered Great Britain, Scandinavia and the Low Countries
- Cecil BrownCecil BrownCecil Brown was the author of the book Suez to Singapore, which describes the sinking of HMS Repulse in December 1941. He also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, at 6410 Hollywood Blvd. for his contribution to radio.. He was a war correspondent who worked closely with Edward R...
, who covered Rome, Eastern Europe, Singapore, North Africa - Richard C. HotteletRichard C. HotteletRichard C. Hottelet was a Brooklyn-born American broadcast journalist for the latter half of the twentieth century. He continues to write and lecture....
, who covered Great Britain, France and Germany
Of the original Boys, Hottelet would end up having the longest career at CBS, joining the network in 1944 and continuing to work at the network until 1985. He is the lone surviving member of the original group.
Other Murrow associates in Europe
Several other CBS journalists worked for and with Murrow during the crisis years in Europe, though they’re not mentioned as being in the circle of Boys. They include Bill Shadel, Charles ShawCharles Shaw (journalist)
Charles Shaw , was an American journalist who worked with Edward R. Murrow during World War II and then went on to be News Director and broadcast journalist at WCAU-TV, the CBS affiliate in Philadelphia....
, Douglas Edwards
Douglas Edwards
Douglas Edwards was America's first network news television anchor, anchoring CBS's first nightly news broadcast from 1948–1962, which was later to be titled CBS Evening News.-Early life and career:...
, John Charles Daly
John Charles Daly
John Charles Patrick Croghan Daly John Charles Patrick Croghan Daly John Charles Patrick Croghan Daly (generally known as John Charles Daly or simply John Daly (February 20, 1914 – February 24, 1991) was an American journalist, game show host and radio personality, probably best known for hosting...
, Paul Manning, George Moorad and Betty Wason
Betty Wason
Elizabeth Wason was an American author and broadcast journalist; a pioneer, with such others as Mary Marvin Breckinridge and Sigrid Schultz, of female journalism in the United States. She worked for and with Edward R. Murrow during World War II, though she and a handful of other journalists were...
. Also included is Edwin Hartrich, who worked under Bill Shirer in Berlin and broadcast daily on CBS through most of 1940; and Ned Calmer
Ned Calmer
Ned Calmer was a Chicago-born American journalist and author. He was a long-time CBS News analyst and close associate of Edward R. Murrow.-Work At CBS:...
, who joined the CBS team in 1940 after working for the European editions of the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
and the New York Herald
New York Herald
The New York Herald was a large distribution newspaper based in New York City that existed between May 6, 1835, and 1924.-History:The first issue of the paper was published by James Gordon Bennett, Sr., on May 6, 1835. By 1845 it was the most popular and profitable daily newspaper in the UnitedStates...
.
The Second Generation "Boys"
After World War II, Murrow returned to New York and briefly served as CBS’s vice president for public affairs – similar to the current role of CBS News president. Murrow recruited several promising journalists in the mold of the original Boys, some of whom became close enough to Murrow that they’re seen as a second generation.They include:
- Walter CronkiteWalter CronkiteWalter 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...
, who covered North Africa and Europe for United Press during the war, was the anchor for the CBS Evening NewsCBS Evening NewsCBS 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....
from 1962-1981 - David SchoenbrunDavid SchoenbrunDavid Schoenbrun , born in New York City, was an American broadcast journalist.He began his career teaching French and in WW2 served as a war correspondent from North Africa through to the liberation of France, for which he was decorated with the Croix de Guerre and the Legion of Honour.After the...
, who covered France - Daniel SchorrDaniel SchorrDaniel Louis Schorr was an American journalist who covered world news for more than 60 years. He was most recently a Senior News Analyst for National Public Radio...
, who covered the Soviet Union and Germany - Alexander KendrickAlexander KendrickAlexander Kendrick was a broadcast journalist. He worked for CBS during World War II and was part of a second generation of reporters known as Murrow's Boys.- Kendrick Before CBS :Before hooking up with Edward R...
, who covered Vienna, Great Britain and later Vietnam and became Murrow's first biographer - Robert PierpointRobert PierpointRobert Pierpoint was a American broadcast journalist who worked for CBS News.Born in Redondo Beach, California, Pierpoint served in the United States Navy during World War II. In 1948, he graduated from University of Redlands...
, who covered the Korean War before becoming a CBS News White House correspondent - George PolkGeorge PolkGeorge Polk was an American journalist for CBS who disappeared in Greece and was found dead a few days later on Sunday May 16, 1948, shot at point-blank range in the back of the head, and with hands and feet tied. Polk was covering the civil war in Greece between the right wing government and...
, who covered the Middle East and Turkey and was killed while covering Greece in 1948 - Marvin KalbMarvin KalbMarvin L. Kalb is an American journalist. Kalb was the Shorenstein Center's Founding Director and Edward R. Murrow Professor of Press and Public Policy . The Shorenstein Center and the Kennedy School are part of Harvard University...
, who covered Moscow and Washington for CBS
Murrow tried to recruit Cronkite away from UP for CBS during the war
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 did after the war was over.
Dan Schorr stayed with CBS News until 1976. He later joined the Cable News Network, and was a senior news analyst for National Public Radio, often delivering commentaries in the Murrow mold, until his death on July 23, 2010.
Kalb, the last journalist recruited by Murrow to CBS, was joined by his brother Bernard at the network in the 1960s and 70s. The Kalbs later moved on to NBC. Marvin Kalb is now a Fox News contributor and is now a Washington-based senior fellow for Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
.
Many journalists, including some at CBS, include these "post-war" associates in the group of Boys, though authors Cloud and Olson limited their own list to the World War II crew.
Other colleagues
Though they’re not considered Murrow’s Boys, several other notable journalists worked closely with Murrow during his years at CBS, They include:- Robert TroutRobert TroutRobert "Bob" Trout was an American broadcast news reporter, best known for his radio work before and during World War II...
, legendary correspondent who preceded Murrow at CBS and coached Murrow in radio broadcasting. - Fred Friendly, co-producer with Murrow of radio's Hear It NowHear It NowHear It Now, an American radio program on CBS, began in December 1950, ending in June 1951. It was hosted by Edward R. Murrow and produced by Murrow and Fred W. Friendly. It ran for one hour on Fridays at 9 pm Eastern Time.- The show's beginnings :...
and TV's See It NowSee It NowSee It Now is an American newsmagazine and documentary series broadcast by CBS from 1951 to 1958. It was created by Edward R. Murrow and Fred W. Friendly, Murrow being the host of the show. From 1952 to 1957, See It Now won four Emmy Awards and was nominated three times... - Palmer WilliamsPalmer WilliamsPalmer Williams was an American broadcast journalist and documentary film maker. He worked closely with Edward R. Murrow.- Williams with CBS :Williams spent most of his career at CBS News working in both radio and television...
, Murrow and Friendly’s operations director on See It Now. - Joseph WershbaJoseph WershbaJoseph Wershba was a professional journalist who joined the CBS News team in 1944, where he served as a writer, editor and correspondent. He was one of the six original producers of CBS's 60 Minutes from 1968-88....
, a reporter who worked with Murrow on Hear It Now and See It Now. - Don HewittDon HewittDonald Shepard "Don" Hewitt was an American television news producer and executive, best known for creating 60 Minutes, the CBS television news magazine, in 1968, which at the time of his death, was the longest-running prime-time broadcast on American television...
, the director of See It Now in its early years, who borrowed from the format to create 60 Minutes60 Minutes60 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....
. - Edward P. MorganEdward P. MorganEdward Paddock Morgan was an American journalist and writer who reported for newspapers, radio, and television media services including ABC, CBS networks, and Public Broadcasting Service Public television....
, who produced Murrow’s CBS Radio show This I BelieveThis I BelieveThis I Believe was a five-minute CBS Radio Network program hosted by journalist Edward R. Murrow from 1951 to 1955. A half-hour European version of This I Believe ran from 1956 to 1958 over Radio Luxembourg....
in the 1950s. The program presented people’s personal philosophies on morality and faith. - Raymond Gram SwingRaymond Gram SwingRaymond Gram Swing was an American print and broadcast journalist. He was one of the most influential news commentators of his era, heard by people worldwide as a leading American voice from Britain during World War II...
, a radio commentator who worked closely with Murrow to foster understanding between the British and Americans during the war years. He later took over production of This I Believe from Morgan.
Friendly later became CBS News president and even later taught at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, introducing the Murrow standards to generations of young journalists. Hewitt later worked closely with Williams and Wershba during the early years of 60 Minutes.