Dallas Selwyn Townsend Jr. (January 17, 1919 – June 1, 1995) was an American broadcast journalist who worked for CBS Radio and television for over 40 years. An award jury at Columbia University said of Townsend, "No other newsman of our day has had a broader acquaintance with news nor communicated it with more economy and precision."

Early career

Born in New York City and raised in New Jersey, Townsend was the son of Dallas Townsend Sr., an attorney who once was assistant attorney general of the United States. He attended

Montclair Kimberley Academy Montclair Kimberley Academy (MKA) is a co-educational private school for students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade located in Montclair, New Jersey, Montclair in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. ...

, graduating in the class of 1936. He graduated from

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...

in 1940 and the

Columbia School of Journalism Columbia most often refers to: * Columbia (personification), the historical personification of the United States * Columbia University, a private university in New York City * Columbia Pictures, an American film studio owned by Sony Pictures * ...

. He worked as a news editor at WQXR in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

before he went to work at CBS.DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). ''Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . Page 265. After working briefly for CBS as an editor in New York City he served in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

as a communications officer. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, he was served in New Guinea, the Philippines and Japan in signal and communication and rose to the rank of captain.

CBS

Townsend was associated with CBS for over 40 years. During his tenure he worked on the CBS Radio Network's morning '' World News Roundup'' and the ''Roundups evening companion, then known as ''The World Tonight.'' In addition to regular newscasts, he covered each presidential convention and campaign from 1948 through 1980 and every American space launch from 1962 to 1980. Townsend covered a variety of other news events including: atomic tests, international peace conferences, and presidential inaugurations. He anchored the ''CBS World News Roundup'' for the better part of 30 years, after CBS sent Winston Burdett to

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

in 1954. Most of that time he anchored 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. broadcasts but abandoned that schedule in last years with CBS because it required him to rise before the sun. Townsend was Alan Jackson's broadcast partner on CBS Radio on November 22, 1963, covering the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas. While Jackson anchored news reports from the wire services and from Texas, Townsend provided news and background information at various points in the initial broadcast.

Personal life

Townsend and his wife, Lois Bradley Townsend, lived in

Montclair, New Jersey Montclair is a Township (New Jersey), township in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Situated on the cliffs of the Watchung Mountains, Montclair is a commercial and cultural hub of North Jersey and a diverse ...

and raised four children, three daughters and a son: Katharine, Nancy, Patricia and Douglas. He retired in 1985 from CBS and moved to Sarasota, Florida. They spent much of their time in Bala, Ontario, Canada.

Death

Townsend died June 1, 1995, of injuries from a fall that he suffered a week earlier. He was 76 years old. He was survived by his wife and four children and ten grandchildren.

Recognition

In 1983, Townsend received an Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Award for "intelligent and incisive reporting" over his career.

References

Sources

Princeton University MemorialsAmerican Journalism Review:The Last Good Meal in a World of Snacks
{{DEFAULTSORT:Townsend, Dallas 1919 births 1995 deaths American male journalists United States Army personnel of World War II American reporters and correspondents Montclair Kimberley Academy alumni Princeton University alumni People from the District Municipality of Muskoka Mass media people from Montclair, New Jersey Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism alumni United States Army officers 20th-century American writers 20th-century American journalists 20th-century American male writers