Dan Rather Biography Quotes 25 Report mistakes

Early Life and Education
Daniel Irvin Rather Jr. was born on October 31, 1931, in Wharton, Texas, and raised in Houston in a working-class family. His father, Daniel Irvin Rather Sr., worked in the oilfields and pipeline construction; his mother was Byrl Veda Page Rather. Rather attended Houston public schools and developed an early fascination with the news. He studied journalism at Sam Houston State Teachers College (now Sam Houston State University) in Huntsville, Texas, where he worked at the campus radio station and local outlets, graduating in 1953. He maintained a lifelong bond with the university, which later named its mass communication building for him and benefited from scholarships and mentorship he helped inspire.

Early Reporting Career in Texas
Rather began in radio, including KSAM in Huntsville and later KTRH in Houston. He moved to television at KHOU-TV in Houston, where his urgent, explanatory coverage of Hurricane Carla in 1961, using an innovative overlay map to show the storm's size and projected path, brought him national attention. The clarity and calm of the broadcasts amid danger showcased traits that would mark his career: preparedness, on-the-ground reporting, and a knack for conveying complex events plainly.

Joining CBS News and Breakthrough Coverage
CBS News hired Rather in 1962. He served in bureaus including New Orleans and Dallas. In November 1963, he was among the CBS journalists who reported and anchored coverage of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, helping coordinate a fast-moving, unprecedented national broadcast. The Kennedy story propelled him into the front rank of network correspondents. Throughout the 1960s he reported widely on the civil rights movement, the space program, and growing U.S. involvement in Vietnam.

War, Civil Rights, and the White House Beat
Rather reported from Vietnam repeatedly, developing a reputation for relentless fieldwork that colleagues, sometimes admiringly, sometimes teasingly, summarized in the nickname "Gunga Dan". He also covered the Selma-to-Montgomery marches and the passage of landmark civil rights legislation. In Washington he became CBS's White House correspondent, covering Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard Nixon. During the Watergate era, Rather pressed Nixon amid mounting scandals, most memorably in a tense 1974 exchange in which Nixon tested him with, "Are you running for something?" and Rather replied, "No, sir. Are you?" The moment symbolized the adversarial accountability that the post-Watergate press increasingly embraced.

Anchor of the CBS Evening News
In March 1981, Rather succeeded Walter Cronkite as anchor and managing editor of the CBS Evening News. He led the broadcast through a period of intense competition with Tom Brokaw at NBC and Peter Jennings at ABC, while also continuing major field reporting. Rather helped launch and anchor the newsmagazine 48 Hours beginning in 1988, emphasizing immersive, time-bounded reporting, and later contributed to 60 Minutes II (also known as 60 Minutes Wednesday). For a period in the mid-1990s, Connie Chung co-anchored the CBS Evening News with Rather. His folksy "Ratherisms", colorful turns of phrase, became part of his on-air persona.

Memorable Moments and Major Interviews
Across decades Rather reported from conflict zones and historic flashpoints: Vietnam, the Middle East, Central America, the Balkans, and beyond. He anchored and reported extensively on the fall of the Soviet Union, the first Gulf War, and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. On September 11, 2001, he anchored hours of live coverage as the country absorbed the attacks. His interview subjects included global leaders and controversial figures: Fidel Castro, Saddam Hussein (notably in 2003 ahead of the Iraq War), Nelson Mandela, Mikhail Gorbachev, Yasser Arafat, and multiple U.S. presidents. He also had indelible broadcast moments at home, including a contentious 1988 live interview with then, Vice President George H. W. Bush over Iran, Contra, and a widely discussed 1987 on-air incident when a sports overrun briefly left the Evening News off the air.

2004 National Guard Story and Departure from CBS
In September 2004, Rather anchored a 60 Minutes Wednesday report on President George W. Bush's Texas Air National Guard service. The story relied in part on documents whose authenticity was quickly challenged. An independent review (the Thornburgh, Boccardi panel) criticized the reporting and vetting process. Rather apologized for the shortcomings; several producers left CBS, and the program was canceled. He stepped down as anchor in March 2005 and left CBS in 2006 after more than four decades. Rather subsequently filed a lawsuit against CBS and its corporate parents over his departure; after years of litigation, the case was dismissed.

Later Work: HDNet/AXS TV, News & Guts, and a Digital Renaissance
Rather reinvented his career on the emerging HDNet (later AXS TV), backed by Mark Cuban. From 2006 to 2013 he hosted Dan Rather Reports, a long-form investigative series that won praise for international coverage and deep dives on underreported issues. He then hosted The Big Interview with Dan Rather, featuring extended conversations with major figures in music and culture. He co-founded News & Guts, an independent production and digital media company that publishes news analysis and storytelling across platforms. In the social media era, Rather's steady voice and civic commentary built a large following, introducing him to new generations.

Books and Writing
Rather has authored and co-authored numerous books, including:
- The Camera Never Blinks (with Mickey Herskowitz), a bestselling memoir of his early career
- The Camera Never Blinks Twice, reflecting on reporting in a changing media world
- Deadlines and Datelines, essays from the field
- Rather Outspoken: My Life in News, a memoir spanning the CBS years and beyond
- What Unites Us (with Elliott Kirschner), meditations on American ideals and citizenship
He has also written essays and forewords on journalism's public mission and the responsibilities of a free press.

Awards and Recognition
Over his career, Rather received numerous honors, including multiple Emmy Awards, Peabody Awards, and other industry recognitions for investigative reporting, international coverage, and lifetime achievement. He has been inducted into broadcasting halls of fame and honored by journalism organizations for his contributions to news gathering and public service journalism.

Personal Life
Rather married Jean Goebel in 1957. They have two children: Robin, an environmental and civic activist, and Danjack, an attorney. Known for his work ethic and field readiness, Rather also cultivated a personal image of plain-spoken Texan wit. He has supported educational initiatives and maintained close ties with Sam Houston State University, where he has helped encourage aspiring reporters.

People Around Him
Influential colleagues, collaborators, and counterparts across Rather's career include:
- Walter Cronkite, his predecessor at the CBS Evening News, whose mantle Rather assumed
- Don Hewitt, creator of 60 Minutes, and Jeff Fager, executive producer associated with 60 Minutes II
- Producers such as Mary Mapes, who worked closely with Rather on major investigations
- 60 Minutes and CBS News peers including Ed Bradley, Morley Safer, Mike Wallace, Lesley Stahl, Bob Schieffer, and Andy Rooney
- Connie Chung, who co-anchored the CBS Evening News with Rather in the 1990s
- News division leaders such as Andrew Heyward
- Rival anchors Tom Brokaw (NBC) and Peter Jennings (ABC), who defined a competitive era in network evening news
- Political figures he covered and often questioned vigorously, including Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and others

Legacy
Dan Rather stands as one of the most recognizable American broadcast journalists of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. His career, marked by frontline reporting, marathon anchoring in times of crisis, memorable interviews, and high-profile controversies, mirrors the evolution of network news itself. After CBS, he demonstrated how veteran journalists could adapt to new platforms without abandoning core values of verification, accountability, and public service. His work, both celebrated and debated, helped shape standards for how television news covers war, politics, and national trauma, leaving a lasting imprint on American journalism.

Our collection contains 25 quotes who is written by Dan, under the main topics: Witty One-Liners - Motivational - Wisdom - Freedom - Art.

Other people realated to Dan: Peggy Noonan (Writer), Helen Thomas (Journalist), Fred W. Friendly (Producer), Charles Kuralt (Journalist), George Herman (Journalist), Roger Mudd (Journalist), Brian Williams (Journalist), Howard Stringer (Businessman), Charles Osgood (Journalist)

• 2017 What Unites Us (Book)
• 2001 The American Dream: Stories from the Heart of Our Nation (Book)
• 1991 I Remember (Book)
• 1977 The Camera Never Blinks (Book)
• 1974 The Palace Guard (Book)

• Wikipedia