Mike Wallace, Longtime 60 Minutes Correspondent, Dies at 93
Mike Wallace
Mike Wallace, a correspondent for CBS' 60 Minutes for more than four decades, has died, The New York Times reports. He was 93 years old.
CBS announced Wallace's death Sunday morning on Face the Nation. Host Bob Schieffer said Wallace passed away Saturday night in New Canaan, Conn. "His family was with him," Scheiffer said. Wallace, who underwent triple bypass surgery in 2008, had been ill for several years.
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One of the original correspondents when 60 Minutes launched in 1968, Wallace became known for his ambush interviews of criminals and liars. During his years with the program, Wallace also interviewed such notable figures as Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy, Salvador Dali, Malcolm X, Eleanor Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan and many others.
As fellow 60 Minutes correspondent Morley Safer remembered him, "Wallace took to heart the old reporter's pledge to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. He characterized himself as 'nosy and insistent.'"
Prior to his long tenure with 60 Minutes, the Massachusetts native served as a radio announcer for action shows like The Green Hornet and hosted several game shows. He also anchored two late-night programs, including The Mike Wallace Interview on ABC.
Wallace semi-retired from 60 Minutes in 2006, but contributed several pieces after that. His last piece was an interview with famed baseball pitcher and accused steroid user Roger Clemens in January 2008.
Wallace is survived by his wife Mary and his son Chris, who is an anchor for Fox News Sunday.
A special edition of 60 Minutes will be dedicated to Wallace on April 15.