Little fact explorers, let me introduce you to Edward Roscoe Murrow!
He was a legendary radio broadcaster and also a TV journalistđ˛!!
He was quite famous for his live radio broadcasts during the Second World War!
Murrow was also the producer of âPerson to Person,â âSmall World,â âSee It Now,â and many more! đ˛!
So, letâs go through some interesting facts regarding the life and contributions of this amazing person!
Interesting Edward Roscoe Murrow Facts
Edward R. Murrow: Explore the birth secrets of this famous person
Murrow was born at Polecat Creek, near Greensboro, in Guilford County, North Carolina, on April 25, 1908.
His motherđŠ was Ethel F. Murrow, and his dad đ¨ was Roscoe Conklin Murrow! Both of them were Quakers!
Murrow was a âmixture of Irish, Scottish, German, and Englishâ descent and the youngest of four brothers!
The firstborn of his parents, Roscoe Jr., lived just a few hours!
The other two elder brothers of Murrow are Lacey Van Buren and Dewey Joshua. The family lived on a farm without plumbing and electricityđĄ.
After several years, Murrowâs family moved to Skagit County
Little fact-lovers, did you know this interesting secret about Murrow? No? Let me tell you.
When Murrow was just six years old, his family moved across the country to Skagit County!
It was in western Washington, to homestead near Blanchard, about 50 km south of the Canada-United States border!
There he attended a nearby high school in Edison!
He was the leader of the schoolâs debate teamđŁď¸, and during his senior year, he even became the president of the student body! Quite impressive, isnât it?
Murrow enrolled at Washington State College
In the year 1926, Murrow graduated from high school and enrolled at Washington State University!
Today, it is known as Washington State University!
He was quite active in speech and college politics!
Another interesting fact about Murrow is that he was born as Egbert Roscoe Murrow, and a teenager, his nickname was Ed.
Later, during his second year in college, Murrow changed his name to Edward from Egbert!
Murrow had a signature phrase
Murrowâs reports started with what became his signature opening, âThis is London.â
He used to deliver this with his vocal emphasis on the word this, followed by a small pause and then the rest of the phrase!
Londoners did not know if they would see one another the next morning âď¸because of the bombing. Hence, they used to say, âGood night, and good luck.â
Murrow started using the phrase âGood night and good luck.â It actually started after a 14-year-old Princess Elizabeth closed a broadcast to British kids by saying, âGood night and good luck to you all.â
Murrow did not start as a journalist
Murrow Joined CBS as a director of talk and education in 1935. His description of the work was to develop cultural as well as discussion shows!
It even involved lining up newsmakers that would appear on the network to discuss the problems of the day!
An opportunity came when Hitler engineered the annexation of Austria by the Nazis.
He then put together a European News Roundup of reactions to the Anschluss!
It brought correspondents from different European cities together for a single broadcast, aired on March 13, 1938!
Murrow reported live from Vienna, the first on-the-screen news report of his life!
Murrow brought the Second World War into the living rooms of Americans
It is rare to hear the sounds of actual war unless they themselves had fought in one. Right?
Thus, to hear the sounds of war, along with outstanding reporting, is quite exciting and thrilling!
During WW IIđŁ, Americans experienced this thrill, thanks to Murrow!
It established radio as a legitimate source of journalism!
Murrow could easily give vivid descriptions of what was happening around or below him!
One time he put up his microphone on the ground and stood up to record the sounds of people walking to bomb shelters to show there was no panic in London!
Murrow even reported amidst bombs
I am really thrilled to learn this interesting fact!
Murrow was not a fan of recordings, as he wished to give vivid descriptions of the things around him! This is also the reason why his wartime reports were full of life!
He got permission to go live, and on September 21, 1940, Murrow made his live rooftop broadcast!
The bombing đŁ was quite heavy that night; however, by good or bad luck, it stopped only a minute before the broadcast started!
Still, listeners could hear the whistles of either air-raid wardens or police officers đŽââď¸and even the antiaircraft guns!
Murrow received the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Did you know this remarkable fact about Edward R. Murrow?
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is an awardđĽ presented by the President of the U.S.
It is given to recognize individuals who have made an especially meritorious contribution to the national, cultural interests or security of the United States, world peace, or other important public or private endeavors!
This prestigious award is the countryâs highest civilian award!
Murrow was noted for his reports from London and even covered the brutality of the Nazisâ march across Europe during the Second World War!
Murrowâs report on the concentration camp
After the war, Murrow recruited journalistsđď¸ like David Schoenbrun, Alexander Kendrick, Robert Pierpoint, and Daniel Schorr into the circle of the Boys as a virtual âsecond generation.â
However, the track record of the actual wartime crew set it apart!
On April 12, 1945, Bill Shadel and Murrow were the first reporters đťat Germanyâs Buchenwald concentration camp!
Murrow had an affair with the daughter-in-law of Winston Churchill
Murrow worked with the British quite closely!
In 1943, Winston Churchill offered to make Murrow BBCâs joint Director-General in charge of programming!
However, Murrow declined the offer; but fell in love with Pamela Beryl Harriman, daughter-in-law of Winston Churchill!
Pamela was married to Randolph Churchill and later filed a divorce on the grounds of desertion!
Pamela enjoyed talking with powerful men and initially wanted Murrow to marry her!
Though Murrow ever promised her twice, he still ended the affair after his wife gave birth to their only child, Casey.
Murrow was a heavy cigarette smoker
Murrow was a chain smoker throughout his life!
He was always seen with Camel cigarettesđŹ, his trademark! He could smoke through sixty and sixty-five cigarettes a day!
Once in his show, Murrow said that he could not go through an operation to remove his left lung!
However, on April 27, 1965, Murrow died at his home, two years after his surgery!
Strangely the same thing had killed his older brother, Lacey, as he was a heavy smoker đŹ and also an alcoholic!
Lacey also underwent lung removal surgery due to lung cancer in the 1950s. Later in 1966, Lacey committed suicide!
appointed as the head of the United States Information Agency
Have you heard this amazing secret about Murrow?
After the war, Murrowâs career struggled at lot!
His relationship with CBS became strained. Finally, he resigned and accepted a position offered by President Kennedy!
It was the head of the United States Information Agency!
His appointed restored the confidence of the agency in public in other countries!
Murrow tried to atone for McCarthyâs sins!
His status as a celebrity gave the agency a higher profile!
This helped it earn a good amount of fundsđ° from the Congress. However, the early signs of cancer kept him from furthering many agendas!
Murrowâs show changed public opinion of a controversial senator
Murrowâs show, See It Now, focused on various controversial issues!
It is best remembered as a show that criticized the Red Scare and McCarthyism!
It even helped stop the anticommunist persecutions, which were led by Senator Joseph McCarthy!
It resulted in his downfall!
In 1953, Murrow told the story of a solder! The solder was removed from the military for being a risk for the security!
He became a security risk, as his sister and father had leftist political learnings!
After this story appeared on Murrowâs famous show, See It Now, the soldier was reinstated đ!!
Edward R. Murrow as a producer
I am truly amazed to explore this wonderful secret about Murrow! What about you, my friend?
Murrow produced several interesting shows!
He produced three episodes of âYears Of Crisisâ from 1953 to 1956.
Between the years 1953 and 1959, he even produced 247 episodes of âPerson To Person.â
Murrow was also the producer of some other shows, such as Small World (1958-1960), âCBS Reports (1959-1960), and also See It Now (1951-1958).
Also, in 1956, Murrow wrote an introduction for âRise Of The Vice Presidencyâ, Irving G. Williamâs book! Amazing, right?
Awards owned by Murrow
In his lifetime, Murrow received many awards and honors!
The most prestigious ones include the 1947 Alfred I. duPont Award, the 1964 Paul White Award, the 1951 and 1952 George Polk Award, and also the 1967 Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for âA Reporter Remembers, Vol. I The War Years.â
Summing up
Edward R. MurrowâŚisnât the person, and the facts regarding him are really amazing! đ!
We have tried to collect as much information about him as possibleâŚto satisfy your curious soul!
Hope you like them! đ!
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