Roger Harrison Mudd was a distinguished American broadcast journalist known for his work at CBS News and NBC News. He served as a correspondent, anchor, and substitute anchor for major news programs like CBS Evening News and NBC Nightly News. Mudd also hosted prominent shows such as Meet the Press and American Almanac. His contributions to journalism earned him prestigious awards including a Peabody Award, the Joan Shorenstein Award, and five Emmy Awards.
February 9, 1928: Birth of Roger Mudd
Roger Harrison Mudd was born on February 9, 1928, in Washington, D.C.
1945: Graduation from High School
Roger Mudd graduated from Wilson High School in 1945.
1950: Bachelor of Arts Degree
Roger Mudd earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from Washington and Lee University in 1950.
1953: Master of Arts Degree
Roger Mudd earned a Master of Arts in History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1953.
1954: Law School
Roger Mudd enrolled in the University of Richmond School of Law in the fall of 1954 but dropped out after one semester.
1956: First Newscast
During the fall of 1956, Roger Mudd hosted his first newscast that he wrote himself, WTOP's 6:00 p.m. newscast.
1957: TV Documentary
In the summer of 1957, Roger Mudd produced a half-hour TV documentary advocating for the need for a third airport in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area.
March 1959: New Role at WTOP
In March 1959 WTOP replaced Don Richards with Roger Mudd for its 11 p.m. newscast.
May 31, 1961: Joins CBS News
Roger Mudd joined the Washington bureau of CBS News on May 31, 1961.
August 28, 1963: March on Washington Coverage
Roger Mudd anchored the August 28, 1963, coverage of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom for CBS.
November 13, 1963: Case History of a Rumor
On November 13, 1963, CBS-TV broadcasted the documentary "Case History of a Rumor", in which Roger Mudd interviewed Rep. James Utt.
August 1964: Democratic National Convention Coverage
Roger Mudd and CBS journalist Robert Trout covered the August 1964 Democratic National Convention, temporarily displacing Walter Cronkite in the anchor booth.
1964: Civil Rights Act Filibuster
Roger Mudd became nationally known for covering the two-month filibuster of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
1966: Omicron Delta Kappa Initiation
Roger Mudd was initiated as an alumnus member of Omicron Delta Kappa at Washington and Lee in 1966.
June 5, 1968: Interview with Robert F. Kennedy
Roger Mudd interviewed Robert F. Kennedy on June 5, 1968, at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles minutes before Kennedy was assassinated.
1971: The Selling of the Pentagon
Roger Mudd hosted the documentary "The Selling of the Pentagon" in 1971.
1972: Emmy Award
Roger Mudd won an Emmy for covering the shooting of Gov. George Wallace of Alabama in 1972.
1973: Emmy Award
Roger Mudd won an Emmy Award for covering the resignation of Vice President Spiro T. Agnew in 1973.
November 4, 1979: Interview with Ted Kennedy
Roger Mudd's interview with Senator Ted Kennedy was broadcast on November 4, 1979, for the CBS Reports special "Teddy."
1980: CBS Evening News Anchor Considerations
Roger Mudd and Dan Rather were in contention to succeed Walter Cronkite as the weeknight anchor of the CBS Evening News.
1980: Ted Kennedy Announces Candidacy
Ted Kennedy challenged President Jimmy Carter for the 1980 Democratic presidential nomination.
March 9, 1981: Dan Rather Becomes CBS Evening News Anchor
Dan Rather took over as anchor of the CBS Evening News on March 9, 1981.
April 1982: NBC Nightly News Co-Anchor
Roger Mudd began co-anchoring the NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw in April 1982.
September 1983: Tom Brokaw Becomes Sole Anchor
Tom Brokaw took over as the sole anchor of the NBC Nightly News in September 1983.
1984: NBC Meet the Press Co-Moderator
From 1984 to 1985, Roger Mudd was the co-moderator of the NBC Meet the Press program with Marvin Kalb.
1985: End of NBC Meet the Press Co-Moderator Role
Roger Mudd's time as co-moderator of the NBC Meet the Press program ended in 1985.
1986: Co-Anchor of NBC News Magazines
Roger Mudd served as the co-anchor with Connie Chung on two NBC news magazines, "American Almanac" and "1986."
1987: MacNeil-Lehrer Newshour Essayist and Correspondent
Roger Mudd worked as an essayist and political correspondent with the MacNeil-Lehrer Newshour on PBS from 1987 to 1993.
1993: Professor and The History Channel Anchor
Roger Mudd became a visiting professor at Princeton University and Washington and Lee University from 1993 to 1996, and also a primary anchor for over ten years with The History Channel.
1996: End of Professorship
Roger Mudd's time as a visiting professor at Princeton University and Washington and Lee University ended in 1996.
2004: Retirement from Broadcasting
Roger Mudd retired from full-time broadcasting in 2004.
December 10, 2010: Donation to Washington and Lee University
On December 10, 2010, Roger Mudd donated $4 million to Washington and Lee University, his alma mater, to establish the Roger Mudd Center for the Study of Professional Ethics and to endow a Roger Mudd Professorship in Ethics. He expressed his gratitude to the university and highlighted the importance of ethics in current culture.
2011: Death of E. J. Spears
In 2011, Roger Mudd's wife, E. J. Spears, passed away. She was formerly from Richmond, Virginia, and they had three sons and a daughter together. Mudd was also survived by 14 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
March 9, 2021: Death of Roger Mudd
American broadcast journalist Roger Mudd died on March 9, 2021.