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Revision as of 00:06, 24 January 2020
This article is currently being heavily edited because its subject has recently died. Information about their death and related events may change significantly and initial news reports may be unreliable. The most recent updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. |
Jim Lehrer | |
---|---|
Born | James Charles Lehrer May 19, 1934 Wichita, Kansas, U.S. |
Died | January 23, 2020 Washington, D.C., U.S. | (aged 85)
Education | Victoria College |
Alma mater | University of Missouri |
Occupation(s) | Journalist, news anchor, author |
Years active | 1959–2012 |
Notable credit(s) | PBS NewsHour The Dallas Morning News The Dallas Times Herald |
Spouse | |
Children | 3 |
Military career | |
Service/ | United States Marine Corps |
James Charles Lehrer (/ˈlɛərə/; May 19, 1934 – January 23, 2020)[1] was an American journalist and novelist.[2]
Lehrer was the executive editor and a news anchor for the PBS NewsHour on PBS, known for his role as a debate moderator during U.S. presidential election campaigns. He authored numerous fiction and non-fiction books that drew upon his experience as a newsman, along with his interests in history and politics.[3]
Early years
Lehrer was born in Wichita, Kansas, the son of Lois Catherine (née Chapman), a bank clerk, and Harry Frederick Lehrer, a bus station manager.[4] He attended middle school in Beaumont, Texas, and graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in San Antonio, where he was a sports editor for the Jefferson Declaration. He graduated with an associate's degree from Victoria College, and a bachelor's degree in journalism from the Missouri School of Journalism at the University of Missouri in 1956.[5]
After graduating from college, Lehrer joined the United States Marine Corps,[6] for three years, as an infantry officer. He attributed his service and travels with helping him to look past himself and feel a connection to the world that he would not have otherwise experienced.[7]
Career
In 1959, Lehrer began his career in journalism at The Dallas Morning News in Texas. Later, he worked as a reporter for the Dallas Times-Herald, where he covered the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963. There, he was a political columnist for several years, and in 1968 he became the city editor.[8]
Lehrer began his television career at KERA-TV in Dallas, Texas, as the Executive Director of Public Affairs, an on-air host, and editor of a nightly news program.[9] He moved to PBS in Washington, D.C., to become the Public Affairs Coordinator, a member of Journalism Advisory Board, and a Fellow at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).[citation needed] He worked as a correspondent for the National Public Affairs Center for Television (NPACT), where he met Robert MacNeil. In 1973, they covered the Senate Watergate hearings and the revelation of the Watergate Tapes broadcast, live on PBS.[10] Lehrer covered the House Judiciary Committee's impeachment inquiry of President Richard Nixon.[10]
In October 1975, Lehrer became the Washington correspondent for the "Robert MacNeil Report" on Thirteen/WNET New York. Two months later on December 1, 1975, he was promoted to co-anchor, and the program was accordingly renamed "The MacNeil/Lehrer Report". In September 1983, Lehrer and MacNeil relaunched their show as The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour, which was renamed The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, following McNeil's departure in 1995. The program was renamed the PBS NewsHour in 2009.[3]
Lehrer underwent a heart valve surgery in April 2008, allowing Ray Suarez to anchor in his stead until Lehrer's return on June 26, 2008.[11]
Lehrer stepped down as anchor of the PBS NewsHour on June 6, 2011, but continued to moderate the Friday news analysis segments and be involved with the show's production company, MacNeil/Lehrer Productions.[12]
Lehrer received several awards and honors during his career in journalism, including several Emmys; the George Foster Peabody Broadcast Award; a William Allen White Foundation Award for Journalistic Merit; and the University of Missouri School of Journalism's Medal of Honor. In 2004, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Journalism degree by McDaniel College.[13][14]
Presidential debate moderator
Lehrer was involved in several projects related to U.S. presidential debates, including the Debating Our Destiny documentaries in 2000 and 2008, which feature excerpts of exclusive interviews with many of the presidential and vice presidential candidates since 1976.[15] Nicknamed The Dean of Moderators by journalist Bernard Shaw, Lehrer moderated twelve presidential debates, spanning from 1988 to 2012.[16] As of 2016[update], Lehrer served on the board of the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD).[17]
The last debate that Lehrer moderated was the first general election debate of the 2012 election. He originally had sworn off moderating any debates after 2008; however, the CPD persisted, and he accepted as he was interested in the new format.[18] The debate was held at the University of Denver and covered domestic policy issues. Lehrer's performance as a moderator, in which he frequently allowed the candidates to exceed the given time limits, received mixed reviews; while he received criticism for his lenient enforcement of time rules and open-ended questions, his approach also received praise for letting the candidates have some control in the debate on their own terms.[19][20]
Personal life
For six decades, Lehrer was married to Kate Lehrer, who is also a novelist. They had three daughters and six grandchildren.[3] His father was a bus driver who briefly operated a bus company. Lehrer was an avid bus enthusiast, a hobbyist, and a collector of bus memorabilia, including depot signs, driver caps, and antique toy buses.[21][22] As a college student in the 1950s, he worked as a Trailways ticket agent in Victoria, Texas. He also was a supporter of the Pacific Bus Museum in Williams, California, and the Museum of Bus Transportation in Hershey, Pennsylvania.[3]
Lehrer was a prolific writer and authored numerous novels, as well as several plays, screenplays, and three personal memoirs. His book, Top Down, is a novel based on the events surrounding the Kennedy assassination.[23] His last play, Bell, was produced by the National Geographic Society as part of their 125th anniversary celebration.
Death
Lehrer died at his home in Washington, D.C. on January 23, 2020, at age 85.[5][24]
Honors and awards
This section needs additional citations for verification. |
- Paul White Award, Radio Television Digital News Association[25] (1990)
- American Academy of Arts and Sciences Fellow (1991)
- University of Missouri School of Journalism's Medal of Honor
- William Allen White Foundation Award for Journalistic Merit
- George Foster Peabody Award[26]
- Fred Friendly First Amendment Award,
- Emmy Award
- National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Silver Circle (1999)
- Television Hall of Fame (1999)
- National Humanities Medal (1999)
- Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism.[27] (2008)
Bibliography
Novels (One-Eyed Mack Series)
- Lehrer, Jim (1988). Kick the Can. New York: Putnam. ISBN 0-399-13350-X.
- Lehrer, Jim (1989). Crown Oklahoma. New York: Putnam. ISBN 0-399-13434-4.
- Lehrer, Jim (1990). The Sooner Spy. New York: Putnam. ISBN 0-399-13536-7.
- Lehrer, Jim (1991). Lost and Found. New York: Putnam. ISBN 0-399-13601-0.
- Lehrer, Jim (1992). Short List. New York: Putnam. ISBN 0-399-13665-7.
- Lehrer, Jim (1994). Fine Lines. New York: Random House. ISBN 0-517-16435-3.
Novels (Charlie Henderson Series)
- Lehrer, Jim (1993). Blue Hearts. New York: Random House. ISBN 0-679-42216-1.
- Lehrer, Jim (1998). Purple Dots. New York: Random House. ISBN 0-679-45237-0.
Novels (Stand-alone)
- Lehrer, Jim (1966). Viva Max!. New York: Duell, Sloan & Pearce. ASIN B001TNUMVE.
- Lehrer, Jim (1995). The Last Debate. New York: Random House. ISBN 0-517-17761-7.
- Lehrer, Jim (1996). White Widow. New York: Random House. ISBN 0-679-45236-2.
- Lehrer, Jim (2000). The Special Prisoner. New York: Random House. ISBN 0-375-50371-4.
- Lehrer, Jim (2002). No Certain Rest. New York: Random House. ISBN 0-375-50372-2.
- Lehrer, Jim (2004). Flying Crows: A Novel. New York: Random House. ISBN 1-4000-6197-0.
- Lehrer, Jim (2005). The Franklin Affair. New York: Random House. ISBN 1-4000-6198-9.
- Lehrer, Jim (2006). The Phony Marine. New York: Random House. ISBN 1-4000-6486-4.
- Lehrer, Jim (2007). Eureka. New York: Random House. ISBN 1-4000-6487-2.
- Lehrer, Jim (2009). Oh, Johnny. New York: Random House. ISBN 1-4000-6762-6.
- Lehrer, Jim (2010). Super. New York: Random House. ISBN 978-1-4000-6763-3.
- Lehrer, Jim (2013). Top Down: A Novel of the Kennedy Assassination. New York: Random House. ISBN 978-1-4000-6916-3.
- Memoirs
- Lehrer, Jim (1975). We Were Dreamers. New York: Atheneum. ISBN 0-689-10693-9.
- Lehrer, Jim (1992). A Bus of My Own. New York: Putnam. ISBN 0-399-13765-3.
- Lehrer, Jim (2011). Tension City. New York: Random House. ISBN 978-1-4000-6917-0.
- Screenplays
- An adaptation of White Widow has been written by Luke Wilson[28][29]
- Viva Max! (1969) writing credit with Elliott Baker
- The Last Debate (2000) writing credit with Jon Maas
- Plays
References
- ^ "Oxford English Dictionary Entry for Jim Lehrer". Oxford Dictionaries. December 1, 2016. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
- ^ Fieldstadt, Elisha (January 23, 2020). "Jim Lehrer: 'The Dean of Moderators' nightly newscast, dead at 85". NBC.
As an anchor of several iterations of the NewsHour, Jim reported the news with a clear sense of purpose and integrity, even as the world of media changed around him.
- ^ a b c d "About Us: Jim Lehrer, Executive Editor". The PBS NewsHour. 2012. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
- ^ "Jim Lehrer Biography (1934–)". film reference. 2011. Retrieved May 3, 2011.
- ^ a b McFadden, Robert D. (January 23, 2020). "Jim Lehrer, Longtime PBS News Anchor, Is Dead at 85". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
- ^ Jim Lehrer (November 10, 2006). "Jim Lehrer Reflects on Marines at Museum Dedication". PBS NewsHour. Retrieved May 3, 2011.
- ^ Jim Lehrer (June 8, 2008). "Commencement speech of Jim Lehrer". Harvard University. Retrieved September 28, 2008.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Jim Lehrer - American Journalist and Author". Britannica.com. Encyclopædia Britannica. August 30, 2011. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
- ^ Jones, Gabrielle. "Jim Lehrer, PBS NewsHour Anchor Who Got His TV Start At KERA, Dead At 85". www.keranews.org. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
- ^ a b "Covering Watergate: 40 Years Later With MacNeil And Lehrer". PBS NewsHour. May 16, 2013.
- ^ The Associated Press (April 25, 2008). "NewsHour Anchor Jim Lehrer Has Heart Surgery". The International Herald Tribune. Retrieved September 26, 2008.
- ^ Farhi, Paul (May 12, 2011). "Jim Lehrer to step down from daily broadcast at 'NewsHour'". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 12, 2011.
- ^ http://www.mcdaniel.edu/
- ^ The Baltimore Sun - "McDaniel's Commencement is Saturday; Jim and Kate Lehrer to Get Honorary Degrees," May 16, 2004.
- ^ "Jim Lehrer Hosts Debating our Destiny". PBS.org. MacNeil/Lehrer Productions in association with the Commission on Presidential Debates and WETA. December 31, 2008. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
- ^ Associated Press (September 29, 2004). "Jim Lehrer: 'The Dean of Moderators'". NBC News. Retrieved September 26, 2008.
- ^ Guthrie, Marisa (September 26, 2016). "Jim Lehrer Offers Advice to Debate Moderators: It's Not About You (Q&A)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
- ^ Stelter, Brian; Shear, Michael D. (October 4, 2012). "Criticism Greets List of Debate Moderators". The New York Times, USA. Retrieved October 4, 2012.
- ^ Bauder, David (October 4, 2012). "Tough Reviews for Jim Lehrer as Debate Moderator". San Francisco Chronicle, California, USA. Hearst Communications Inc. Retrieved October 4, 2012.
- ^ "Jim Lehrer's Debate Performance Criticized, Defended, and Analyzed". The Washington Post, USA. October 4, 2012. Retrieved October 4, 2012.
- ^ Lehrer, Jim - "A Bus of My Own", New York: Putnam - 1992. ISBN 0-399-13765-3.
- ^ Hari Sreenivasan - "Jim Lehrer's 'Super' Office Tour", On the Road, PBS, April 16, 2010.[1]
- ^ Lehrer, Jim - "Top Down: A Novel of the Kennedy Assassination", New York: Random House, 2013. ISBN 978-1-4000-6916-3.
- ^ Davenport, Anne Azzi; Brown, Jeffrey (January 23, 2020). "Remembering Jim Lehrer". PBS NewsHour. PBS. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Paul White Award". Radio Television Digital News Association. Retrieved May 27, 2014.
- ^ Peabody Awards won by Jim Lehrer , accessed September 2014.
- ^ Arizona State University. "Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication". Retrieved November 23, 2016.
- ^ Simon, Brent (August 13, 2008). "Luke Wilson Wants to Direct... Again". Shared Darkness. Archived from the original on November 26, 2013. Retrieved October 4, 2012.
- ^ Truitt, Brian (September 8, 2010). "Luke Wilson shoots for the top in 'Middle Men'". USA Today. Retrieved October 4, 2012.
- ^ a b c "PBS' Jim Lehrer Serves His Chili Queen in L.A. Feb. 20". February 20, 1998.
- ^ Laura Bennett (September 11, 2013). "An Anchor Tells Stories Onstage, but Off Camera".
Further reading
- Art at Our Doorstep: San Antonio Writers and Artists featuring Jim Lehrer. Edited by Nan Cuba and Riley Robinson (Trinity University Press, 2008).
External links
- Biography on PBS NewsHour
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- Jim Lehrer on Charlie Rose
- Jim Lehrer at IMDb
- 1998 UW Commencement Speech on YouTube
- Write TV Public Television Interview with Jim Lehrer
- Jim Lehrer at The Interviews: An Oral History of Television
- A conversation with Jim Lehrer, on The Media Report, May 10, 2007
- Jim Lehrer discusses his novel, The Phony Marine (video)
- Recent deaths
- 1934 births
- 2020 deaths
- 20th-century American journalists
- 20th-century American male writers
- 20th-century American non-fiction writers
- 20th-century American novelists
- 21st-century American journalists
- 21st-century American male writers
- 21st-century American non-fiction writers
- 21st-century American novelists
- American broadcast news analysts
- American male non-fiction writers
- American male novelists
- American television news anchors
- Emmy Award winners
- Jefferson High School (San Antonio, Texas) alumni
- Journalists from Texas
- Military personnel from Texas
- Missouri School of Journalism alumni
- National Humanities Medal recipients
- Novelists from Texas
- PBS people
- People from Beaumont, Texas
- The Dallas Morning News people
- United States Marine Corps officers
- Writers from Dallas
- Writers from San Antonio
- Writers from Wichita, Kansas