Walter Cronkite, voted in a 1972 "trust index" as the "most trusted man in
America, has died today at the age of 92. In this AP photo, he is shown with his wife after an event. Publicly, he was affectionately known as "Uncle Walter," but for those who worked with him and were affected by his hard work and "demanding ways," he was nicknamed "Old Ironpants."
How much hard work, dedication and perfectionistic tendencies helped him to create a public image of warmth and trust? As CBS Evening News Reporter and Anchor, Walter Cronkite covered all the top news events of his day, hob nobbing with the leaders of that era..
As a reporter, he did not shy away from controversy and made his opinions known. His respected opinion had the power to actually shapre events. In fact, his suggestion to withdraw American troops from Viet Nam actually caused the president at that time, Lyndon Johnson, to take note and re-evaluate his strategies.
Walter Cronkite was married for 65 years (until she died in 2005) to Mary Elizabeth Maxwell, with whom he had three children. He affectionately described his wife, as a woman with an "extraordinarily keen sense of humor" which helped them get over some problems. And he acknowledged how "... her tolerance, even support, for the uncertain scheules and wanderings of a newsman." kept their marriage intact over so many years.
How many people nowadays have the tolerance and are willing to support a spouse whose work or personality traits or idosyncratic antics and behaviors do not fit into what is expected by society or one's individual expectations? Take a look at your own relationships. Have you or your partner opted out when the going got tough or are you one of those rare dinosaurs that believe in lasting love, endurance and riding the waves of rough times with a vision toward future tranquility?
Read more about this news anchor legend whose passing seems to represent one more indication of the passing of an era in America. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_obit_walter_cronkite and http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090718/ap_on_re_us/us_cronkite_tribute
Comments