NEW YORK, March 19, 2009 – Television journalism icon Dan Rather will deliver the Spring 2009 Samuel Rudin Distinguished Visiting Scholars Lecture at The City College of New York (CCNY) 5:30 p.m. Thursday, April 2. Mr. Rather, who was anchor and managing editor of the CBS Evening News from1981 to 2005, will speak in The Great Hall of Shepard Hall on the CCNY campus, located at Convent Avenue and W. 138th Street in Manhattan.
His topic will be “Democracy and the 24-Hour News Cycle.” A reception will follow the event, which is free and open to the public.
About Dan Rather
His distinguished record and his long exposure on television around the globe have made Dan Rather one of the best-known journalists in the world. He has interviewed every U.S. President from Dwight D. Eisenhower to George W. Bush and virtually every major international leader of the past 30 years.
Dan Rather’s many journalist coups include two world exclusive news-breaking interviews with Saddam Hussein, in 1990 and 2003. In 2004, as a correspondent for “60 Minutes II,” Mr. Rather also broke what was arguably that year’s biggest story – the abuse of prisoners at Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison.
Mr. Rather was anchor and managing editor of “CBS Evening News” from March 9, 1981 to March 9, 2005, the longest such tenure in broadcast journalism history. During his 43 years with CBS News, he also served as anchor of the documentary series “CBS Reports” and the weekend editions of “CBS Evening News,” CBS News Bureau Chief in London and Saigon, and White House Correspondent during the Johnson, Nixon and Ford administrations.
He has received virtually every honor in broadcast journalism, including numerous Emmy and Peabody Awards, and citations from critical, scholarly, professional and charitable organizations. In 2006, Rather founded the company News and Guts and became Anchor and Managing Editor of HDNet’s “Dan Rather Reports,” which specializes in investigative journalism and international reporting.
About The Samuel Rudin Distinguished Visiting Scholars Lecture
This lecture, a component of The Samuel Rudin Distinguished Visiting Scholars Program at The City College of New York, initiated in 1996, provides an opportunity for members of the college community to interact with outstanding scholars, business leaders, and government officials, enriching the education experience on campus. The program is also intended to foster communication within the academic community of New York City.
Samuel Rudin, a civic and philanthropic leader in New York City, was a member of the Class of 1918 at The City College and went on to a prominent real estate career. The Samuel Rudin Distinguished Visiting Scholars Program is supported by a grant from the May and Samuel Rudin Family Foundation, Inc.
Previous Rudin Scholars include Tom Brokaw, Susan Lacy, Ric Burns, Frank McCourt, the Hon. Patricia S. Schroeder, Walter Cronkite and Nobel Laureate Dr. Harold E. Varmus.
About The City College of New York
For more than 160 years, The City College of New York has provided low-cost, high-quality education for New Yorkers in a wide variety of disciplines. Over 15,000 students pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; The School of Architecture, Urban Design and Landscape Architecture (SAUDLA); The School of Education; The Grove School of Engineering, and The Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education. For additional information, visit www.ccny.cuny.edu.
MEDIA CONTACT
Ellis Simon
p: 212.650.6460
e:
esimon@ccny.cuny.edu