Dallas Townsend

Dallas Selwyn Townsend Jr. (January 17, 1919 - June 1, 1995) was an American

He anchored the CBS World News Roundup for the better part of 30 years, after CBS sent Winston Burdett to Rome in 1954. Most of that time he anchored 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. broadcasts but abandoned that schedule in last years with CBS because it required him to rise before the sun.

Townsend was Alan Jackson's broadcast partner on CBS Radio on November 22, 1963, covering the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas. While Jackson anchored news reports from the wire services and from Texas, Townsend provided news and background information at various points in the initial broadcast.^[8]

Personal life

Townsend and his wife, Lois Bradley Townsend, lived in Montclair, New Jersey and raised four children, three daughters and a son: Katharine, Nancy, Patricia and Douglas. He retired in 1985 from CBS and moved to Sarasota, Florida. They spent much of their time in Bala, Ontario, Canada.

Death

Townsend died June 1, 1995, of injuries from a fall that he suffered a week earlier. He was 76 years old.^[7] He was survived by his wife and four children and ten grandchildren.

Recognition

In 1983, Townsend received an Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Award for "intelligent and incisive reporting" over his career.^[9]

References