One of journalism's foremost figures, Howard Kingsbury Smith Jr., died Friday at the age of 87.
As CBS anchor Dan Rather aptly noted, "Howard K. Smith was a man of intelligence and integrity . . . Broadcast journalism has lost one of its early greats."
Smith was a consummate professional who gained prominence in World War II where he became known as one of "Murrow's Boys," a group that included the late Eric Sevareid and Charles Collingswood. He joined CBS News in 1941 as part of a team assembled by Edward R. Murrow.
The Nuremberg war crimes trial, the surrender of the German Army in 1945 and the Battle of the Bulge were among the events he covered. In 1946 he succeeded Murrow as CBS' London correspondent.
Smith was a hawk on the Vietnam War, which surprised many of his supporters. Smith said his stance was based on his observations of what happened when democracies failed to confront Hitler in the late 1930s. His son Jack was seriously wounded in Vietnam in 1965.
Smith moderated the first televised debate between John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon in 1960 and also conducted the first televised one-on-one televised interview with a sitting president — Richard Nixon in 1969.
Smith was known for his strong opinions, which is what resulted in him parting ways with CBS. An avowed opponent of segregation, Smith wanted to include a quote by 18th-century statesman Edmund Burke — "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing" — during a documentary on a civil rights piece titled "Who Speaks for Birmingham?" His bosses felt he was editorializing too much, which led to his departure.
Like Murrow, he was one of broadcasting's pioneers, ending his career as a co-anchor and analyst for ABC. While at ABC he was first made co-anchor with Frank Reynolds and later teamed with Harry Reasoner. He retired in 1979 at the age of 65. He wrote his autobiography and lectured widely.
He wrote other books, including a 1942 best seller, "Last Train from Berlin," which detailed Hitler's rise to power and Smith's own experiences — Smith was the last correspondent to leave Berlin after war was declared.
His wife of 60 years, Benedicte Traberg Smith, as well as his son Jack and a daughter survive him.