Former presidential advisor David Gergen will interview Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalist Walter Cronkite at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 8 in the Koury Center, located on the Elon University campus.
Cronkite, 86, who retired from CBS in 1981, has recently voiced his concern about the war in Iraq. During a March 18 forum at Drew University in New Jersey, Cronkite said the U.S. is setting a dangerous precedent with its action. “I’m very disappointed that we’ve come to this point,” Cronkite said. He believes the war will take longer and be more difficult than the Bush administration projects. “The military is always more confident than circumstances show they should be.”
Cronkite’s career with CBS began in 1950 when he was hired as a reporter. He became the evening news anchor in 1962, and in 1963, “The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite” became network television’s first half-hour weeknight news broadcast.
During his career, Cronkite covered some of history’s most important events, including the first man on the moon, the Vietnam War, the assassination of President Kennedy, the civil rights movement and Watergate. A major poll once named Cronkite “the most trusted figure” in American life, and his newscasts were often seen as a reflection of mainstream American thinking.
Since his retirement from CBS, Cronkite has remained active in broadcasting. He has interviewed world leaders and broadcast special reports on public education, terrorism, the legacy of Hiroshima and the 40th anniversaries of D-Day and V-E Day. In addition to his ongoing assignments as a special CBS correspondent for space and science programs, he hosts public affairs and cultural programs for PBS.
Gergen served in the White House as adviser to four presidents. He served as director of communications for President Reagan and held positions in the administrations of Presidents Nixon and Ford. He also served for 18 months in the Clinton administration, first as a counselor to President Clinton and later as a special adviser to the president and secretary of state.
Currently, Gergen serves as editor-at-large at U.S. News and World Report magazine. He also hosts “The World at Large with David Gergen” and appears regularly as an analyst on ABC’s “Nightline.”
Tickets for the program are $10 or free with Elon identification. Tickets may be purchased by calling the McCrary Theatre box office at (336) 278-5610. The box office is open from 12:30 p.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday.
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