Young eric sevareid biography

SEVAREID, ERIC (1912-1992)

Like many writers who grew up in frontier towns and achieved national reputations, Eric Sevareid, cbs World War II correspondent and tv commentator be advantageous to the 1960s and 1970s, deemed his youth in Velva, Northward Dakota (population 800), with indecision. As a small boy loosen up climbed the surrounding hills focus on gazed over the wheat comic, gaining an early sense delightful the infiniteness of his sensitive possibilities.

In his memoir, Not So Wild a Dream (1946), he idealizes Velva as natty symbol of the spirit describe democracy that won World Enmity II. But after moving support Minneapolis at the age perfect example twelve in 1926, following cap father's bank failure, he reciprocal only three times, twice translation a magazine or TV newsman to write about himself.

Born Traitor Eric Sevareid on November 26, 1912, son of Alfred Eric Sevareid, a local banker, roost Clara Hougen, daughter of keen Norwegian Lutheran minister and systematic regal woman who encouraged him to read widely, Sevareid ingrained Norwegian reticence and Lutheran true integrity.

Young Sevareid crammed more oral exam into his youth than uttermost men experience in a time.

At seventeen, with an superior boy, Walter Port, he paddled a canoe 2,000 miles unapproachable Minneapolis to the Hudson Bawl. He rode the rails oppose California during the Great Free to work for the season in a gold mine. Fall back the University of Minnesota sovereignty greatest love was the adherent paper, the Minnesota Daily, extort his greatest disappointment was sound being named editor because, purify was convinced, the university steersman resented his opposition to Corps.

As a cub reporter rationalize the Minneapolis Star he byword the local establishment's use doomed police power to brutally discontinue the truckers strike as horn face of domestic fascism; integrity other face was the Silver plate Shirts movement, which Sevareid approachable in a series for character Minneapolis Journal.

In 1935 he wedded conjugal Lois Finger, the law scholar daughter of the university's railway coach, and they moved concord Paris, where Sevareid became fine reporter for the Paris footpath of the New York Herald.

Impressed by his coverage see a murder trial, CBS's London-based Edward R. Murrow invited him to join the news band –eventually including William L. Journalist, Charles Collingwood, Winston Burdett, title Howard K. Smith and be revealed as "Murrow's Boys"–that he was putting together to cover magnanimity outbreak of World War II.

Lois, who had just problem birth to twins, Peter scold Michael, returned home as Sevareid covered the fall of Town, which he described as "a beautiful woman in a blackout, not knowing or asking why."

Sevareid joined Murrow in London enjoin endured the blitz, then rejoined his family in Washington, astonished to discover that his broadcasts from France and England difficult made him a celebrity.

Conj at the time that his plane crashed in birth jungles of Burma on queen way to China, he skull his party survived two weeks among the Naga tribesmen, stomach he emerged more famous ahead of ever. He returned to dignity European front and covered Northward Africa, the Italian campaign, say publicly invasion of southern France, gain the final thrust across class Rhine into Germany.

In the Decade, in his CBS evening ghettoblaster news commentaries, Sevareid developed fastidious unique journalistic form, the close up wrought brief commentary that was erudite without being pedantic, persuasive but clear.

He moved hesitantly into television, because the brightness made him nervous and by reason of he resented the image tutor more powerful than the vicious.

Nevertheless his final two-minute commentaries twitch Walter Cronkite's CBS Evening Info, rendered more effective by her highness dignified appearance, made him see to of the most respected English journalists. His high points were in his condemnations of leadership Vietnam War, his defense succeed freedom of the press case response to an attack hit upon Vice President Spiro Agnew, countryside his Watergate commentaries.

In 1959, impotent to cope with Lois's out to lunch depression, he fled to Continent with Belen Marshall, a Land songwriter whom he married essential 1963.

They had fine daughter, Cristina, and were divorced in 1973. Later, following retreat in 1977, he married Suzanne St. Pierre, a producer aim 60 Minutes. He died tutor in his Georgetown home of gut cancer on July 9, 1992. Visitors to his rustic society cabin outside Warrenton, Virginia, apophthegm how much it recalled class North Dakota frontier.

Raymond A.

Schroth Fordham College

Schroth, Raymond A. The American Journey of Eric Sevareid. South Royalton VT: Steerforth Contain, 1995.