| Birth: | Dec. 14, 1922
New York
New York County
New York, USA | | Death: | Aug. 19, 2009
Bridgehampton
Suffolk County
New York, USA | 
Pioneering Television News Producer. Born Donald S. Hewitt, he attended New York University, but left before graduating to join the New York Herald Tribune. During World War II he enrolled in the Merchant Marine Academy and then became a correspondent for "Stars and Stripes," at age 20 the youngest reporter assigned to cover General Dwight Eisenhower's headquarters. He joined CBS News at the dawn of the Television Age in 1948 and was Director and Co-Producer (with Edward R. Murrow and Fred W. Friendly) of the documentary news program "See It Now" with Murrow as host. In 1960 he was the Director of the presidential debates between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy, the first ever televised. Hewitt oversaw CBS's nightly fifteen-minute news broadcasts featuring Douglas Edwards and later became Executive Producer of the half-hour "CBS Evening News" with Walter Cronkite. In 1968 he launched "60 Minutes," creating the TV news magazine format, and serving as the highly successful show's Executive Producer until 2004. Hewitt authored a memoir, "Tell Me a Story: Fifty Years and 60 Minutes in Television." He also wrote "Minute by Minute," which detailed the history of his signature program. Hewitt's innovations included superimposing names and graphics on TV images to illustrate news stories and the coining of the term "anchorman." His honors included eight Emmys, eight Peabody awards and induction into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame. In 2008 he received Washington State University's Edward R. Murrow Award in recognition of his lifetime of achievement in broadcast journalism. (bio by: Bill McKern)
Search Amazon for Don Hewitt | | | Burial:
Unknown |
Maintained by: Find A Grave
Originally Created by: Bill McKern
Record added: Aug 19, 2009
Find A Grave Memorial# 40852976 |
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Added by:
Bill McKern
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