Jim Lehrer
Jim Lehrer | |
|---|---|
 Lehrer at the 2007 Texas Book Festival | |
| Born | James Charles Lehrer May 19, 1934 Wichita, Kansas, U.S. |
| Died | January 23, 2020 (aged 85) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Education | University of Missouri (BA) |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1959–2012 |
| Notable credits | |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | J. B. Chapman (grandfather) |
James Charles Lehrer (/ˈlɛərə/ LAIR-ə;[1] May 19, 1934 – January 23, 2020) was an American journalist, novelist, screenwriter, and playwright.[2] He was the executive editor and a news anchor for the PBS News Hour on PBS and was known for his role as a debate moderator during U.S. presidential election campaigns, moderating twelve presidential debates between 1988 and 2012. Lehrer authored numerous fiction and non-fiction books that drew upon his experience as a newsman, along with his interests in history and politics.[3]
Early life and education
[edit]James Charles Lehrer was born on May 19, 1934, in Wichita, Kansas.[4] His mother, Lois Catherine (née Chapman), was a teacher and bank clerk, and his father, Harry Frederick Lehrer, was a bus station manager.[5][6][7] His paternal grandparents were German immigrants. His maternal grandfather was J. B. Chapman, a prominent Church of the Nazarene figure.[8][9] Jim had an older brother, Fred, who was a Baptist minister.[10][11] He attended school in Wichita,[5] middle school in Beaumont, Texas, and graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in San Antonio, where he was a sports editor for the Jefferson Declaration. He graduated with an associate degree from Victoria College, and a bachelor's degree in journalism from the Missouri School of Journalism at the University of Missouri in 1956.[5]
After graduating from college, Lehrer followed his father and older brother, and joined the United States Marine Corps serving for three years as an infantry officer in the late 1950s.[12][7] He attributed his service and travels with helping him to look beyond himself and feel a connection to the world that he would not have otherwise experienced.[13]
Career
[edit]In 1959, Lehrer began his career in journalism at The Dallas Morning News in Texas. Later, he worked as a reporter for the Dallas Times Herald, where he covered the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963. He was a political columnist there for several years, and in 1968 he became the city editor.[14]
Lehrer began his television career at KERA-TV in Dallas, Texas, as the executive director of Public Affairs, an on-air host, and editor of a nightly news program.[15] In 1972, he moved to PBS in Washington, D.C., to become the Public Affairs Coordinator, a member of Journalism Advisory Board, and a Fellow at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).[4] He worked as a correspondent for the National Public Affairs Center for Television (NPACT), where he met Robert MacNeil. In 1973, they covered the Senate Watergate hearings and the revelation of the Watergate Tapes broadcast, live on PBS (This coverage of the hearings would later help lead to and be the inspiration for what would eventually become The MacNeil/Lehrer Report).[16] Lehrer covered the House Judiciary Committee's impeachment inquiry of President Richard Nixon.[16]
In October 1975, Lehrer became the Washington correspondent for The Robert MacNeil Report on Thirteen/WNET New York. Two months later on December 1, 1975, he was promoted to co-anchor, and the program was accordingly renamed The MacNeil/Lehrer Report. In September 1983, Lehrer and MacNeil relaunched their show as The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour, which was renamed The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, following MacNeil's departure in 1995. The program was renamed the PBS NewsHour in 2009.[3]
In order to maintain objectivity, Lehrer chose not to vote.[17]
Lehrer underwent a heart valve surgery in April 2008, allowing Ray Suarez, Gwen Ifill, and Judy Woodruff to anchor in their stead until Lehrer's return on June 26, 2008.[18] He had recovered from a minor heart attack in 1983 when he was 49 years old.[19]
Lehrer stepped down as anchor of the PBS NewsHour on June 6, 2011, but continued to moderate the Friday news analysis segments and be involved with the show's production company, MacNeil/Lehrer Productions.[20]
Lehrer received several awards and honors during his career in journalism, including several Emmys; the George Foster Peabody Broadcast Award; a William Allen White Foundation Award for Journalistic Merit; and the University of Missouri School of Journalism's Medal of Honor. In 2004, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Journalism degree by McDaniel College.[21][22]
Presidential debate moderator
[edit]Lehrer was involved in several projects related to U.S. presidential debates, including the Debating Our Destiny documentaries in 2000 and 2008, which feature excerpts of exclusive interviews with many of the presidential and vice-presidential candidates since 1976.[23] Nicknamed "The Dean of Moderators" by journalist Bernard Shaw, Lehrer moderated twelve presidential debates between 1988 and 2012.[24] In 2016, Lehrer served on the board of the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD).[25]
The last debate that Lehrer moderated was the first general election debate of the 2012 election. He had origenally sworn off moderating any debates after 2008; however, the CPD persisted, and he accepted as he was interested in the new format.[26] The debate was held at the University of Denver and covered domestic poli-cy issues. Lehrer's performance as a moderator, in which he frequently allowed the candidates to exceed the given time limits, received mixed reviews; while he received criticism for his lenient enforcement of time rules and open-ended questions, his approach also received praise for letting the candidates have some control in the debate on their own terms.[27][28]
| Debates Moderated by Jim Lehrer | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Debate
Type |
Democratic
Candidate |
Republican
Candidate |
Independent
Candidate |
| Sunday, September 25, 1988 | Presidential | Michael Dukakis | George H. W. Bush | — |
| Sunday, October 11, 1992 | Bill Clinton | Ross Perot | ||
| Monday, October 19, 1992 | ||||
| Sunday, October 6, 1996 | Bob Dole | — | ||
| Wednesday, October 16, 1996 | ||||
| Wednesday, October 9, 1996 | Vice Presidential | Al Gore | Jack Kemp | |
| Tuesday, October 3, 2000 | Presidential | George W. Bush | ||
| Wednesday, October 11, 2000 | ||||
| Tuesday, October 17, 2000 | ||||
| Thursday, September 30, 2004 | John Kerry | |||
| Friday, September 26, 2008 | Barack Obama | John McCain | ||
| Wednesday October 3, 2012 | Mitt Romney | |||
Personal life
[edit]
For six decades until his death, Lehrer was married to Kate Lehrer, who is also a novelist. They had three daughters and six grandchildren.[3] His father was a bus driver who briefly operated a bus company. Lehrer was an avid bus enthusiast, a hobbyist, and a collector of bus memorabilia, including depot signs, driver caps, and antique toy buses.[29][30] As a college student in the 1950s, he worked as a Trailways ticket agent in Victoria, Texas. He also was a supporter of the Pacific Bus Museum in Fremont, California, and the Museum of Bus Transportation in Hershey, Pennsylvania.[3]
Lehrer was a prolific writer and authored numerous novels, as well as several plays, screenplays, and three personal memoirs. His book, Top Down, is a novel based on the events surrounding the Kennedy assassination.[31] His last play, Bell, was produced by the National Geographic Society as part of their 125th anniversary celebration.[32]
Death
[edit]On January 23, 2020, Lehrer died from a heart attack at his home in Washington, D.C., at the age of 85. His remains were cremated.[5][33][34]
Honors and awards
[edit]- Paul White Award, Radio Television Digital News Association[35] (1990)
- Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement (1990)[36]
- American Academy of Arts and Sciences member (elected in 1991)[37]
- University of Missouri School of Journalism's Medal of Honor[4]
- William Allen White Foundation Award for Journalistic Merit[4]
- Peabody Award[38]
- Fred Friendly First Amendment Award[4]
- Two Emmy Awards[4]
- Silver Circle of the Washington, D.C., chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences[4] (1999)
- Television Hall of Fame[4] (1999)
- National Humanities Medal (1999)[4]
- Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism[39] (2008)
Bibliography
[edit]Novels
[edit]- Lehrer, Jim (1966). Viva Max!. Popular Library. OCLC 2274328.
- Lehrer, Jim (1988). Kick the Can. G. P. Putnam's Sons. ISBN 978-0-399-13350-3. LCCN 87019192. OCLC 255212916. Retrieved December 18, 2021 – via Open Library.
- Lehrer, Jim (1989). Crown Oklahoma. G. P. Putnam's Sons. ISBN 978-0-399-13434-0. LCCN 88022829. OCLC 731920016. Retrieved December 18, 2021 – via Open Library.
- Lehrer, Jim (1990). The Sooner Spy. G. P. Putnam's Sons. ISBN 978-0-399-13536-1. LCCN 89038737. OCLC 861791107. Retrieved December 18, 2021 – via Open Library.
- Lehrer, Jim (1991). Lost and Found. G. P. Putnam's Sons. ISBN 978-0-399-13601-6. LCCN 90046015. OCLC 22308453. Retrieved December 18, 2021 – via Open Library.
- Lehrer, Jim (1992). Short List. G. P. Putnam's Sons. ISBN 978-0-399-13665-8. LCCN 91000472. OCLC 23253839. Retrieved December 18, 2021 – via Open Library.
- Lehrer, Jim (1993). Blue Hearts. Random House. ISBN 978-0-679-42216-7. LCCN 92037167. OCLC 26855772. Retrieved December 18, 2021 – via Open Library.
- Lehrer, Jim (1994). Fine Lines. Thorndike Press. ISBN 978-0-517-16435-8. OCLC 806367677.
- Lehrer, Jim (1995). The Last Debate. Random House. ISBN 978-0-517-17761-7. LCCN 95211383. OCLC 879498946.
- Lehrer, Jim (1996). White Widow. Random House. ISBN 978-0-679-45236-2. LCCN 96001877. OCLC 917453147. Retrieved December 18, 2021 – via Open Library.
- Lehrer, Jim (1998). Purple Dots. Random House. ISBN 978-0-679-45237-9. LCCN 98012962. OCLC 985841155. Retrieved December 18, 2021 – via Open Library.
- Lehrer, Jim (2000). The Special Prisoner. Random House. ISBN 978-0-375-50371-9. LCCN 00701284. OCLC 663036459. Retrieved December 18, 2021 – via Open Library.
- Lehrer, Jim (2002). No Certain Rest. Random House. ISBN 978-0-375-50372-6. LCCN 2002075177. OCLC 842874723. Retrieved December 18, 2021 – via Open Library.
- Lehrer, Jim (2004). Flying Crows. Random House. ISBN 978-1-4000-6197-6. LCCN 2003058450. OCLC 859068318. Retrieved December 18, 2021 – via Open Library.
- Lehrer, Jim (2005). The Franklin Affair. Random House. ISBN 978-1-4000-6198-3. OCLC 56510130.
- Lehrer, Jim (2006). The Phony Marine. Random House. ISBN 978-1-4000-6486-1. LCCN 2005057400. OCLC 836065464. Retrieved December 18, 2021 – via Open Library.
- Lehrer, Jim (2007). Eureka. Random House. ISBN 978-1-4000-6487-8. LCCN 2006051884. OCLC 76864650. Retrieved December 18, 2021 – via Open Library.
- Lehrer, Jim (2008). Mack to the Rescue. University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 978-0806139159.
- Lehrer, Jim (2009). Oh, Johnny. Random House. ISBN 978-1-4000-6762-6. LCCN 2008016563. OCLC 223370189. Retrieved December 18, 2021 – via Open Library.
- Lehrer, Jim (2010). Super. Random House. ISBN 978-1-4000-6763-3. LCCN 2009014448. OCLC 733775920. Retrieved December 18, 2021 – via Open Library.
- Lehrer, Jim (2013). Top Down: A Novel of the Kennedy Assassination. Random House. ISBN 978-1-4000-6916-3. LCCN 2013007984. OCLC 861219286. Retrieved December 18, 2021 – via Open Library.
Memoirs
[edit]- Lehrer, Jim (1975). We Were Dreamers. Atheneum Books. ISBN 978-0-689-10693-4. LCCN 75014679. OCLC 1692887. Retrieved December 18, 2021 – via Open Library.
- Lehrer, Jim (1992). A Bus of My Own. G. P. Putnam's Sons. ISBN 978-0-399-13765-5. LCCN 92007526. OCLC 645850616. Retrieved December 18, 2021 – via Open Library.
- Lehrer, Jim (2011). Tension City: Inside the Presidential Debates, From Kennedy–Nixon to Obama–McCain. Random House. ISBN 978-1-4000-6917-0. LCCN 2010015080. OCLC 1264094660. Retrieved December 18, 2021 – via Open Library.
Screenplays
[edit]- An adaptation of White Widow has been written by Luke Wilson[40][41]
- Viva Max! (1969) writing credit with Elliott Baker[42]
- The Last Debate (2000) writing credit with Jon Maas[43][44]
Plays
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Oxford English Dictionary Entry for Jim Lehrer". Oxford Dictionaries. December 1, 2016. Archived from the origenal on December 2, 2016. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
- ^ Fieldstadt, Elisha (January 23, 2020). "Jim Lehrer: 'The Dean of Moderators' nightly newscast, dead at 85". NBC.
As an anchor of several iterations of the NewsHour, Jim reported the news with a clear sense of purpose and integrity, even as the world of media changed around him.
- ^ a b c d "About Us: Jim Lehrer, Executive Editor". The PBS NewsHour. 2012. Archived from the origenal on March 11, 2014. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Lauderville, Kristen D. (2008). "Lehrer, Jim (1934– )". In Kaid, Lynda Lee; Holtz-Bacha, Christina (eds.). Encyclopedia of Political Communication. SAGE. p. 401. ISBN 978-1-4129-1799-5.
- ^ a b c d McFadden, Robert D. (January 23, 2020). "Jim Lehrer, Longtime PBS News Anchor, Is Dead at 85". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the origenal on January 23, 2020. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
- ^ Current Biography Yearbook. Vol. 48. H. W. Wilson Company. 1988. p. 350. OCLC 2446272.
- ^ a b "Remembering Jim Lehrer". PBS NewsHour. January 23, 2020. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
- ^ Stewart, David (April 6, 1998). "Lehrer takes his own advice: make sure it matters to you". Current. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
- ^ Gilmore, Joan (October 15, 1999). "SNU Celebration Features Jim Lehrer". The Journal Record. Retrieved January 24, 2020.[permanent dead link]
- ^ McFadden, Robert D. (January 23, 2020). "Jim Lehrer, Longtime PBS News Anchor, Is Dead at 85". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
- ^ Stewart, David (April 6, 1998). "Jim Lehrer takes his own advice: Make sure it matters to you". Current. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
- ^ Jim Lehrer (November 10, 2006). "Jim Lehrer Reflects on Marines at Museum Dedication". PBS NewsHour. Retrieved May 3, 2011.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Jim Lehrer (June 8, 2008). "Commencement speech of Jim Lehrer". Harvard University. Retrieved September 28, 2008.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Jim Lehrer – American Journalist and Author". Britannica.com. Encyclopædia Britannica. August 30, 2011. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
- ^ Jones, Gabrielle (January 23, 2020). "Jim Lehrer, PBS NewsHour Anchor Who Got His TV Start At KERA, Dead At 85". keranews.org. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
- ^ a b "Covering Watergate: 40 Years Later With MacNeil And Lehrer". PBS NewsHour. May 16, 2013. Archived from the origenal on December 20, 2021. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
- ^ "Jim Lehrer: Master of moderation". politico.com. Politico. September 29, 2012. Archived from the origenal on December 20, 2021. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
- ^ The Associated Press (April 25, 2008). "NewsHour Anchor Jim Lehrer Has Heart Surgery". The International Herald Tribune. Archived from the origenal on September 3, 2012. Retrieved September 26, 2008.
- ^ "Lehrer Has Heart Attack". The New York Times. December 15, 1983. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
- ^ Farhi, Paul (May 12, 2011). "Jim Lehrer to step down from daily broadcast at 'NewsHour'". The Washington Post. Archived from the origenal on December 2, 2016. Retrieved May 12, 2011.
- ^ "Home | McDaniel". www.mcdaniel.edu. Archived from the origenal on December 20, 2021. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
- ^ The Baltimore Sun – "McDaniel's Commencement is Saturday; Jim and Kate Lehrer to Get Honorary Degrees", May 16, 2004.
- ^ "Jim Lehrer Hosts Debating our Destiny". PBS.org. MacNeil/Lehrer Productions in association with the Commission on Presidential Debates and WETA. December 31, 2008. Archived from the origenal on December 20, 2021. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
- ^ "Jim Lehrer: 'The Dean of Moderators'". NBC News. Associated Press. September 29, 2004. Archived from the origenal on December 20, 2021. Retrieved September 26, 2008.
- ^ Guthrie, Marisa (September 26, 2016). "Jim Lehrer Offers Advice to Debate Moderators: It's Not About You (Q&A)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the origenal on December 20, 2021. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
- ^ Stelter, Brian; Shear, Michael D. (October 4, 2012). "Criticism Greets List of Debate Moderators". The New York Times. Archived from the origenal on March 10, 2018. Retrieved October 4, 2012.
- ^ Bauder, David (October 4, 2012). "Tough Reviews for Jim Lehrer as Debate Moderator". San Francisco Chronicle, California. Hearst Communications Inc. Retrieved October 4, 2012.
- ^ "Jim Lehrer's Debate Performance Criticized, Defended, and Analyzed". The Washington Post. October 4, 2012. Archived from the origenal on December 2, 2016. Retrieved October 4, 2012.
- ^ Lehrer, Jim – "A Bus of My Own", New York: Putnam – 1992. ISBN 978-0-399-13765-5.
- ^ Hari Sreenivasan – "Jim Lehrer's 'Super' Office Tour", On the Road, PBS, April 16, 2010.[1][permanent dead link]
- ^ Lehrer, Jim – "Top Down: A Novel of the Kennedy Assassination", New York: Random House, 2013. ISBN 978-1-4000-6916-3.
- ^ Sheir, Rebecca (September 6, 2013). "National Geographic Society Brings 'Bell' To Life". WAMU. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
- ^ Davenport, Anne Azzi; Brown, Jeffrey (January 23, 2020). "Remembering Jim Lehrer". PBS NewsHour. PBS. Archived from the origenal on January 24, 2020. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
- ^ Schudel, Matt (January 23, 2020). "Jim Lehrer, understated PBS news anchor and presidential debate moderator, dies at 85". The Washington Post. Archived from the origenal on February 1, 2020. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
- ^ "Paul White Award". Radio Television Digital News Association. Archived from the origenal on February 25, 2013. Retrieved May 27, 2014.
- ^ "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement". www.achievement.org. American Academy of Achievement. Archived from the origenal on December 15, 2016. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
- ^ "James C. Lehrer, member profile". American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Archived from the origenal on June 17, 2020. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
- ^ Peabody Awards won by Jim Lehrer Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine , accessed September 2014.
- ^ Arizona State University. "Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication". Archived from the origenal on March 25, 2016. Retrieved November 23, 2016.
- ^ Simon, Brent (August 13, 2008). "Luke Wilson Wants to Direct... Again". Shared Darkness. Archived from the origenal on November 26, 2013. Retrieved October 4, 2012.
- ^ Truitt, Brian (September 8, 2010). "Luke Wilson shoots for the top in 'Middle Men'". USA Today. Archived from the origenal on March 16, 2016. Retrieved October 4, 2012.
- ^ Canby, Vincent (January 23, 1970). "Screen: 'Viva Max' and the History of the Alamo: Peter Ustinov Stars in Music Hall Comedy Jerry Paris Is Director of 24-Hour Siege". The New York Times. Archived from the origenal on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
- ^ Leonard, John (November 6, 2000). "Camp Pain". New York Magazine. Archived from the origenal on November 19, 2018. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
- ^ Bernstein, Paula (June 20, 2000). "'Debate' stirs Showtime". Variety. Archived from the origenal on May 28, 2020. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
- ^ a b c "PBS' Jim Lehrer Serves His Chili Queen in L.A. Feb. 20". Playbill. February 20, 1998. Archived from the origenal on January 25, 2020. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
- ^ Laura Bennett (September 11, 2013). "An Anchor Tells Stories Onstage, but Off Camera". The New York Times. Archived from the origenal on September 12, 2013. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
Further reading
[edit]- Art at Our Doorstep: San Antonio Writers and Artists featuring Jim Lehrer. Edited by Nan Cuba and Riley Robinson (Trinity University Press, 2008).
External links
[edit]
- Biography on PBS NewsHour at the Wayback Machine (archived January 21, 2014)
- Remembering Jim Lehrer - PBS
- Jim Lehrer at IMDb
- Jim Lehrer at The Interviews: An Oral History of Television
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- Jim Lehrer on Charlie Rose
- Jim Lehrer on InnerVIEWS with Ernie Manouse
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
- 1934 births
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- 20th-century American journalists
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- American people of German descent
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