History of Roger Mudd in Timeline

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.

June 19, 1953: First Published Article

The News Leader, a newspaper in Richmond, Virginia, ran its first story with a Roger Mudd byline on June 19, 1953.

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.

1981: CBS Evening News Anchor Consideration

Roger Mudd was a candidate to succeed Walter Cronkite as anchor of the CBS Evening News in 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.