Cronkite (32 page)

Walter Cronkite interviewing Gerald and Betty Ford in the mid-1970s. Gerald Ford took office August 9, 1974, upon the resignation of Richard Nixon, but failed to win reelection in 1976. Betty Ford sometimes expressed opinions that contradicted those of her husband, making their joint interviews more unpredictable than those of most presidential couples.
(Whitehurst Photos)

Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian president Anwar al-Sadat with Cronkite at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, Israel, in November 1977. As a result of what was called “Cronkite diplomacy,” Sadat flew to Israel for the historic and ultimately significant meeting.
(Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, the University of Texas at Austin)

Cronkite speaks with Jimmy Carter. As president, Carter presented Cronkite with the Presidential Medal of Freedom on January 16, 1981, saying, “And when our nation has been in trouble or made mistakes and there was a danger that our public might react adversely or even panic on occasion, the calm and reassuring demeanor and voice and the inner character of Walter Cronkite has been reassuring to us all.”
(Whitehurst Photos)

Walter Cronkite stands aboard his beloved
Wyntje
shortly before the announcement of his retirement as anchor of the
CBS Evening News
. The
Wyntje
, a sixty-four-foot sailboat, was built for Cronkite and took him through American waters and those beyond.
(Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, the University of Texas at Austin)

Walter Cronkite listening to Cuban president Fidel Castro on February 14, 1980, during a highly coveted interview. On the same day, Cronkite announced his plans for retirement from the anchor desk at the
CBS Evening News
.
(Whitehurst Photos)

Cronkite in his office on March 6, 1981, his last day as anchorman of the
CBS Evening News
.
(CBS Photo Archive)

The famous
All Laughing
photograph by Diana Walker. President Ronald Reagan, Walter Cronkite, Jim Brady, David Gergen, Ed Meese, Vice President George Bush, James Baker, and Bud Benjamin laughing at a 1981 White House party.
(Diana Walker)

Cronkite on the set of
Walter Cronkite’s Universe
, a summer series that premiered in 1980. Devoted to scientific topics, the prime-time show seemed to be a natural progression for Cronkite after he left the anchor chair. The program failed to find an audience, though, a situation Cronkite blamed on the network’s lack of promotional support and its failure to keep the show in a single time slot.
(Whitehurst Photos)

Walter and Betsy toast each other near Alaska’s Mount McKinley during a break from filming
Universe
(undated). The couple traveled together extensively over the course of their sixty-five-year marriage. Betsy was known for her sense of irony, which helped them both maintain a sense of perspective as Walter’s fame made them national celebrities. Betsy Cronkite died in 2005 after fighting cancer.
(Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, the University of Texas at Austin)

Cronkite holding three kittens. A lifelong animal lover, he was incapable of hunting, or even killing insects that came into his house.
(Whitehurst Photos)