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Edwin Newman, Veteran NBC Newsman, Dies at 91
by Kelly Woo, posted Sep 15th 2010 5:15PM
Edwin Newman, who spent decades as a newsman at NBC, has died. The veteran TV journalist, who was 91, passed away Aug. 13 in Oxford, England, though his death was only just announced by outlets including the New York Times so his family could have time to grieve privately.Newman first joined NBC's ranks in the early 1950s and served as a correspondent, anchor, commentator, documentary host and theater critic over his three-decade tenure. He was known for his dry wit, stark eyebrows and love of plainspoken English.
In a statement, former NBC anchor Tom Brokaw said, "Ed Newman was an early role model for my generation of NBC News correspondents. Worldly, erudite and droll, qualities that were enriched by his pitch perfect use of the English language."
Newman's many notable career moments included announcing President Kennedy's death on the air, moderating two Presidential debates and being the only Western journalist to interview Japanese Emperor Hirohito.
He was born in 1919 in New York City, graduated from George Washington High School, went on to earn a degree at the University of Wisconsin and served in the Navy during World War II, before pursuing journalism professionally.
Newman was regarded as a champion of proper grammar and usage. In 1970, he wrote two bestselling books, 'Strictly Speaking: Will America Be the Death of English?' and 'A Civil Tongue,' which warned against linguistic excesses.
Yet the newsman didn't take himself seriously, even appearing as a host on 'Saturday Night Live' in 1984, the year he retired from NBC.
Newman is survived by his wife, the former Rigel Grell, and a daughter, Nancy Drucker.
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