Born in 1931, and raised as the oldest of three children in Houston Texas, Dan Rather found himself immersed in the big news stories coming out of the countries and the battlefields of World War II. While recovering from rheumatic fever at 10 years old he spent weeks listening to the newly famous war correspondents of the day on radio, and began laying plans to become a journalist.
At a small college in Texas, Rather majored in journalism, but also found all of his work experience with various news outlets, from radio to wire to newspaper. By the time Dan was 24 years old he was named news director at a local radio station, and soon moved to the same post with a CBS affiliated TV station in Texas. When Hurricane Carla hit Galveston in 1961, Rather was in the thick of it: seen hanging onto a palm tree for dear life while reporting, and later arranging to televise (for the first time) a radar image of the storm superimposed over the map of the Texas coastline. CBS executives were impressed. Dan was soon promoted to be the national news correspondent for the southwestern bureau. It wasn't long before Rather's reporting from the locale of President Kennedy's assassination in 1963 earned him another promotion; this time to the White House post.
Dan covered all of the national stories through the 60's and 70's including Viet Nam and Watergate. It was his treatment of Nixon that began to color Rather as somewhat less than a neutral reporter. In 1975 he joined 60 minutes, and in 1981 Dan Rather replaced the venerable Walter Cronkite as anchor of CBS Evening News.
Twenty four years later, one year short of his expected goal, Rather retired from the CBS lead anchor position. His long career was again tarnished by the suggestion of his seemingly unfair and unprofessional treatment of Republican office holders.What QUALITIES OF GOD are evident in Dan Rather?
As is so often the case with first-born children, Dan became the Godly RESPONSIBLE type; it seems he took life SERIOUSLY, with a DETERMINATION to do what should be done. Pursuing his chosen field, he APPLIED HIMSELF with DILIGENCE and CREATIVITY. In some ways, a professional journalist is called upon to be like Christ Himself in that he should empty himself of all personal interests and ambition, to serve only the truth. As Jesus put His own Kingship aside for the purpose of rescuing mankind from their sin, the reporter must live his life as a neutral party in order to be received as a credible purveyor of news.
I love this post. You're right. Every person has a reason for God to love them. :-)
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