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The Murrow Boys, or Murrow's Boys, were the
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
radio broadcast journalists most closely associated with
Edward R. Murrow Edward Roscoe Murrow (born Egbert Roscoe Murrow; April 25, 1908 – April 27, 1965) was an American broadcast journalist and war correspondent. He first gained prominence during World War II with a series of live radio broadcasts from Europe f ...
during his time at the network, most notably in the years before and during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. 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. They achieved nationwide fame, and inadvertently became early examples of "celebrity journalism" in the days of radio and early television news.


The original "Boys"

The individuals most often cited as Murrow Boys are those who worked for and with him covering the war for the
CBS Radio Network CBS News Radio, formerly known as CBS Radio News and historically known as the CBS Radio Network, is a radio network that provides news to more than 1,000 radio stations throughout the United States. The network is owned by Paramount Global. It ...
. Many of his World War II recruits came from the
United Press United Press International (UPI) is an American international news agency whose newswires, photo, news film, and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations for most of the 20t ...
news agency, and several lacked radio experience. Their story is the subject of the 1996 book ''The Murrow Boys'', by Stanley Cloud and
Lynne Olson Lynne Olson (born August 19, 1949) is an American author, historian and journalist. She was born on August 19, 1949, and is married to Stanley Cloud, with whom she often writes. In 1969 she graduated from University of Arizona. Before becoming a ...
. The nickname's origins are unclear. Cloud and Olson interviewed Janet Murrow and set out to determine who exactly fell under the definition of a "Murrow Boy". They primarily included those hired by or associated with Murrow during World War II, with some exceptions. The initial team of war correspondents was assigned to fronts across Europe, and frequently appeared on the ''
CBS World News Roundup The ''CBS World News Roundup'' is the longest-running network radio newscast in the United States. It airs weekday mornings and evenings on the CBS Radio Network. It first went on-air on March 13, 1938, at 8 p.m. ET as a one-time special in res ...
'', which Murrow and Shirer pioneered in 1938. The original Boys, and some of their notable CBS beats during the war, included:The Murrow Boys
, The Life and Work of Edward R. Murrow, an archive exhibit, Digital Collections and Archives, The Murrow Center, ''
Tufts University Tufts University is a private research university on the border of Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1852 as Tufts College by Christian universalists who sought to provide a nonsectarian institution of higher learning. ...
'', 2008, accessed January 7, 2017.
*
William L. Shirer William Lawrence Shirer (; February 23, 1904 – December 28, 1993) was an American journalist and war correspondent. He wrote ''The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich'', a history of Nazi Germany that has been read by many and cited in scholarly w ...
, who covered the rise of
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
for CBS from 1937 until the end of 1940 and later wrote a successful 1941 memoir about the years, ''
Berlin Diary ''Berlin Diary'' ("The Journal of a Foreign Correspondent 1934–1941") is a first-hand account of the rise of Nazi Germany and its road to war, as witnessed by the American journalist William L. Shirer. Shirer covered Germany for several years ...
''. His 1,245 page history, ''
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich ''The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany'' is a book by American journalist William L. Shirer in which the author chronicles the rise and fall of Nazi Germany from the birth of Adolf Hitler in 1889 to the end of World Wa ...
'', is still in print, based largely upon captured documents, the diaries of propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels and General Franz Halder. Additional major sources include testimony and evidence from the
Nuremberg trials The Nuremberg trials were held by the Allies of World War II, Allies against representatives of the defeated Nazi Germany, for plotting and carrying out invasions of other countries, and other crimes, in World War II. Between 1939 and 1945 ...
. *
Eric Sevareid Arnold Eric Sevareid (November 26, 1912 – July 9, 1992) was an American author and CBS news journalist from 1939 to 1977. He was one of a group of elite war correspondents who were hired by CBS newsman Edward R. Murrow and nicknamed " Murrow's ...
, who covered the fall of France and the London Blitz, later covering the war's progress in Great Britain, Italy, Germany, and Asia. * Tom Grandin, a scholar who covered the fall of France before abruptly leaving CBS in 1940. *
Larry LeSueur Laurence Edward LeSueur (June 10, 1909 – February 5, 2003) was an American journalist and a war correspondent during World War II. He worked closely with Edward R. Murrow and was one of the original Murrow Boys. Early life LeSueur was born on ...
, who covered the Blitz, the Eastern Front, and key World War II fighting in France. * Charles Collingwood, who covered the Blitz, the North African campaign, and the liberation of France. * Howard K. Smith, who covered Germany before Pearl Harbor and later reported from Switzerland and France. *
Winston Burdett Winston Burdett (December 12, 1913 – May 19, 1993) was an American broadcast journalist and correspondent for the CBS Radio Network during World War II and later for CBS television news. During the war he became a member of Edward R. Mur ...
, who covered Eastern Europe, North Africa, and Italy. *
Bill Downs William Randall Downs, Jr. (August 17, 1914 – May 3, 1978) was an American broadcast journalist and war correspondent. He worked for CBS News from 1942 to 1962 and for ABC News beginning in 1963. He was one of the original members of the te ...
, who covered the Eastern Front, France, and Germany, and later covered the Japanese surrender. *
Marvin Breckinridge Patterson Mary Marvin Breckinridge Patterson (October 2, 1905December 11, 2002), was an American photojournalist, cinematographer, and philanthropist. She used her middle name, Marvin, both professionally and personally to distinguish herself from her cousi ...
, the only woman among the first generation of Boys, who covered Great Britain, Scandinavia, and the Low Countries. * Cecil Brown, who covered Rome, Eastern Europe, Singapore, and North Africa. * Richard C. Hottelet, who covered Great Britain, France, and Germany. Several Murrow Boys were assigned to accompany Allied forces on D-Day. Hottelet rode along in a bomber over
Utah Beach Utah, commonly known as Utah Beach, was the code name for one of the five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on June 6, 1944 (D-Day), during World War II. The westernmost of the five code-named la ...
at H-Hour, the initial phase of the invasion. Collingwood and Gene Ryder covered Utah Beach, as did Larry LeSueur from a separate landing craft, while Downs covered Gold Beach. All three had difficulty finding working mobile transmitters, and no correspondents of any network were able to report live from the Normandy front until over a week after the initial landings. Of the original Boys, Hottelet had the longest career at CBS, joining the network in 1944 remaining there until 1985. He was the last surviving member of the original group. The group maintained close ties with Murrow but not necessarily each other. They had significant autonomy in filing reports, and while they had been influential in developing the field of radio news broadcasting, they were reluctant to make the transition to television. The Murrow Boys earned far more working in radio than they could in television, and they resented the process of lights, cameras, makeup, and other aspects of TV broadcasting. By the 1950s their dominating presence in the field had begun to decline. Despite this, many in the core group stayed with CBS throughout the 1950s. During the
McCarthy era McCarthyism is the practice of making false or unfounded accusations of subversion and treason, especially when related to anarchism, communism and socialism, and especially when done in a public and attention-grabbing manner. The term origina ...
, Howard K. Smith, William L. Shirer, and
Alexander Kendrick Alexander Kendrick (July 6, 1910 in Philadelphia – May 17, 1991) 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. Before partnering with Edward R. Murrow ...
were among those named in the ''
Red Channels ''Red Channels: The Report of Communist Influence in Radio and Television'' was an anti-Communist document published in the United States at the start of the 1950s. Issued by the right-wing journal ''Counterattack'' on June 22, 1950, the pamphle ...
''.


Other Murrow associates in Europe

Several other CBS journalists worked for and with Murrow during the crisis years in Europe, though they are not mentioned as being in the circle of Boys. They include
Bill Shadel Willard Franklin "Bill" Shadel (July 31, 1908 – January 29, 2005) was an American news anchor for CBS Radio and ABC Television. Shadel was born in Milton, Wisconsin, one of five children and the younger of two sons of Franklin Luther and I ...
, Charles Shaw,
Douglas Edwards Douglas Edwards (July 14, 1917 – October 13, 1990) was an American radio and television newscaster and correspondent who worked for the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) for more than four decades. After six years on CBS Radio in the 1940s ...
,
John Charles Daly John Charles Patrick Croghan Daly (February 20, 1914 – February 24, 1991) was an American journalist, host, radio and television personality, ABC News executive, TV anchor, and game show host, best known for his work on the CBS panel game show ...
, 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 Ned Calmer (July 16, 1907—March 9, 1986)DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). ''Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. 47. was a Chicago-born American journalist and writer. ...
, who joined the CBS team in 1940 after working for the European editions of the ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
'' and the ''
New York Herald The ''New York Herald'' was a large-distribution newspaper based in New York City that existed between 1835 and 1924. At that point it was acquired by its smaller rival the ''New-York Tribune'' to form the '' New York Herald Tribune''. His ...
''.


Second generation "Boys"

After World War II, Murrow returned to New York and briefly served as CBS's vice president for public affairs. He maintained close friendships with the correspondents he hired during the war, and spent much of his free time with them. Younger colleagues who Murrow had not played a role in hiring began to feel like outsiders and viewed his relationship with the Murrow Boys preferential treatment. They formed the "Murrow Isn't God Club", which soon disbanded after Murrow asked if he could join. Murrow recruited several promising journalists in the mold of the original Boys, some of whom became close enough to Murrow that they are seen as a second generation. They include: *
David Schoenbrun David Franz Schoenbrun (March 15, 1915 – May 23, 1988) was an American broadcast journalist. Biography Schoenbrun was born in New York City in 1915. He began his career teaching French. Schoenbrun enlisted in the Army in 1943 and became a W ...
, who covered France. *
Daniel Schorr Daniel Louis Schorr (August 31, 1916 – July 23, 2010) 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 (NPR). Schorr won three Emmy Awards for his te ...
, who covered the Soviet Union and Germany. *
Alexander Kendrick Alexander Kendrick (July 6, 1910 in Philadelphia – May 17, 1991) 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. Before partnering with Edward R. Murrow ...
, who covered Vienna, Great Britain, and Russia duiring the war. Later, he became Murrow's first biographer. *
Robert Pierpoint Robert Pierpoint may refer to: * Robert Pierpoint (journalist) (1925–2011), American broadcast journalist * Robert Pierpoint (British politician) (1845–1932), member of parliament for Warrington * Robert Pierpoint (Vermont politician) Robert ...
, who covered the
Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
before becoming a CBS News White House correspondent. *
George Polk George Polk (October 17, 1913 – May 1948) was an American journalist for CBS who was murdered during the Greek Civil War, in 1948. World War II During World War II, Polk enlisted with a Naval Construction Battalion. After the invasion of Guad ...
, who covered the Middle East and Turkey and was killed while covering Greece in 1948. * Marvin Kalb, who covered Moscow and Washington for CBS. Schorr stayed with CBS News until his 1976 dismissal following his refusal to identify a source. He later joined
CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...
, and was a senior news analyst for
National Public Radio National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other n ...
, 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 The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is owne ...
contributor and is now a Washington-based senior fellow for
Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
. Many journalists, including some at CBS, include these "postwar" 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 are not considered Murrow's Boys, several other notable journalists worked closely with Murrow during his years at CBS, They include: *
Robert Trout Robert Trout (born Robert Albert Blondheim; October 15, 1909 – November 14, 2000) was an American broadcast news reporter who worked on radio before and during World War II for CBS News. He was regarded by some as the "Iron Man of Radio" for ...
, legendary correspondent who preceded Murrow at CBS and coached Murrow in radio broadcasting. *
Fred W. Friendly Fred W. Friendly (born Ferdinand Friendly Wachenheimer, October 30, 1915 – March 3, 1998) was a president of CBS News and the creator, along with Edward R. Murrow, of the documentary television program '' See It Now''. He originated the concep ...
, co-producer with Murrow of radio's ''
Hear It Now ''Hear It Now'', an American radio program on CBS, began on December 15, 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 be ...
'' and TV's ''
See It Now ''See 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, with Murrow as the host of the show. From 1952 to 1957, ''See It Now'' won four Emmy ...
.'' * Palmer Williams, Murrow and Friendly's operations director on ''See It Now.'' * Joseph Wershba, a reporter who worked with Murrow on ''Hear It Now'' and ''See It Now.'' *John F. Peterson, USN Combat Camera Group worked with Murrow at CBS and ''See It Now'' during the Korean War *
Don Hewitt Donald Shepard Hewitt (December 14, 1922 – August 19, 2009) was an American television news producer and executive, best known for creating the CBS television news magazine ''60 Minutes'' in 1968, which at the time of his death was the longest- ...
, the director of ''See It Now'' in its early years, who borrowed from the format to create ''
60 Minutes ''60 Minutes'' is an American television news magazine broadcast on the CBS television network. Debuting in 1968, the program was created by Don Hewitt and Bill Leonard, who chose to set it apart from other news programs by using a unique styl ...
.'' *
Edward P. Morgan Edward Paddock Morgan (June 23, 1910 – January 27, 1993) was an American journalist and writer who reported for newspapers, radio, and television media services including ABC, CBS networks, and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). A native o ...
, who produced Murrow's CBS Radio show ''
This I Believe ''This I Believe'' was originally a five-minute program, originally hosted by journalist Edward R. Murrow from 1951 to 1955 on CBS Radio Network. The show encouraged both famous and everyday people to write short essays about their own personal ...
'' in the 1950s. The program presented people's personal philosophies on morality and faith. *
Raymond Gram Swing Raymond Gram Swing (March 25, 1887 – December 22, 1968) 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 durin ...
, 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. * Betty Wason, radio commentator in Europe 1940-42 and a stringer for CBS. *
Marguerite Higgins Marguerite Higgins Hall (September 3, 1920January 3, 1966) was an American reporter and war correspondent. Higgins covered World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, and in the process advanced the cause of equal access for female war c ...
, who worked alongside Murrow, Pierpoint, and Downs during the Korean War. *
Walter Cronkite Walter Leland Cronkite Jr. (November 4, 1916 – July 17, 2009) was an American broadcast journalist who served as anchorman for the ''CBS Evening News'' for 19 years (1962–1981). During the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited as "the mo ...
, whom Murrow approached in 1943 to join the team and relieve Bill Downs as the CBS Moscow correspondent. Cronkite ultimately turned the offer down when his employer, United Press, countered with a large pay increase. He went on to join CBS in 1950. Friendly went on to become CBS News president and later taught at
Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
, where he introduced the Murrow standards to generations of young journalists. Hewitt worked closely with Williams and Wershba during the early years of ''60 Minutes''.


References

{{Edward R. Murrow American radio journalists American radio reporters and correspondents American television reporters and correspondents American war correspondents of World War II CBS News people