Harry Reasoner was one of the most influential and respected journalists of his time. He was known for his witty and eloquent commentary, his groundbreaking work on the news magazine 60 Minutes, and his role in covering some of the most important events in history. But his life and career came to a tragic end on August 6, 1991, when he died from a blood clot in his brain, resulting from a fall at his home in Westport, Connecticut. He was 68 years old.
Contents
A Brilliant Mind and a Passion for Journalism
Harry Reasoner was born on April 17, 1923, in Dakota City, Iowa. He was the son of Eunice and Harry Ray Reasoner, who were both teachers. He developed a love for reading and writing at an early age, and showed a talent for journalism in high school. He studied at Stanford University and the University of Minnesota, where he received a journalism degree in 1989 at the age of 66.
He served in the Army during World War II, and wrote a novel called Tell Me About Women, which was published in 1946. He started his journalism career with The Minneapolis Times, and then worked for the United States Information Agency in the Philippines. He joined CBS News in 1956, and became one of the most prominent voices in television news.
A Pioneer of 60 Minutes and a Master of Language
Harry Reasoner was one of the original hosts of 60 Minutes, which debuted in 1968. He co-hosted the show with Mike Wallace, and later with Morley Safer. He was known for his insightful and humorous reports, which often tackled controversial and complex issues. He also had a knack for crafting memorable phrases and sentences, such as:
- “If you’re a good reporter, you’re one of the most popular people around. If you’re an investigative reporter, you’re one of the most unpopular.”
- “Journalism is a kind of profession, or craft, or racket, for people who never wanted to grow up and go out into the real world.”
- “Statistics are to baseball what a flaky crust is to Mom’s apple pie.”
He won three Emmy Awards and a George Foster Peabody Award for his work on 60 Minutes. He also hosted other shows, such as Calendar, The Reasoner Report, and ABC World News Tonight.
A Witness to History and a Victim of Fate
Harry Reasoner was involved in covering some of the most significant events in history, such as:
- The John F. Kennedy assassination: He took over the anchor chair from Charles Collingwood at 5:49 p.m. EST on November 22, 1963, and announced that there would be no commercials or entertainment programming until Kennedy’s funeral.
- The Vietnam War: He reported from the war zone several times, and expressed his doubts about the US involvement and strategy.
- The Watergate scandal: He interviewed President Richard Nixon in 1974, and asked him about his role and responsibility in the cover-up.
- The Iran hostage crisis: He anchored ABC’s nightly updates on the situation from November 1979 to January 1981.
He retired from 60 Minutes in May 1991, after suffering from lung cancer and other health problems. He had married twice: first to Kathleen Carroll Reasoner, with whom he had seven children; and then to Lois Harriett Weber, whom he married in 1988. On June 11, 1991, he fell at his home and hit his head on a marble floor. He underwent surgery to remove a blood clot from his brain, but contracted pneumonia afterwards. He died on August 6, 1991, at Norwalk Hospital.
His death shocked and saddened his colleagues, friends, fans, and family. He was remembered as a legend of journalism, a master of language, and a gentleman of integrity.
