Richard Threlkeld
Encyclopedia
Richard Threlkeld is an American television news correspondent who spent 25 years with CBS News
.
Threlkeld grew up in Barrington, Illinois
. He earned a degree in history and political science from Ripon College
. He then earned a master's degree from Medill School of Journalism
at Northwestern University
.
Threlkeld held positions at WHAS-TV in Louisville, Kentucky
and WMT-TV in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
. He joined CBS News in 1966 and stayed there until December 1981, serving as co-anchor of the CBS Morning News (with Lesley Stahl
) from 1977 to 1979. He covered John Paul II's visit to Mexico in 1979.
Threlkeld went to ABC News
in 1982 and was given the special assignment of filing a weekly Status Report segment for World News Tonight, which sought to give a deeper perspective to the week's most important story. In that role, he reported on the Falklands War
, the invasion of Lebanon
and many other domestic and international issues. Status Reports won a DuPont-Columbia Award
in 1983.
After seven years at ABC, Threlkeld returned to CBS in 1989 and remained there until his retirement in 1999.
During his news career, Threlkeld also covered the Vietnam War
, the Persian Gulf War, and the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989
. In the United States he covered such stories as the Robert F. Kennedy assassination
and the Patty Hearst
kidnapping, as well as numerous political campaigns.
Threlkeld's last assignment before retirement was as CBS News Moscow
correspondent. His wife, Betsy Aaron, was CNN
Moscow correspondent at the same time. He and his wife retired to Tucson, Arizona
.
Threlkeld authored the book Dispatches from the Former Evil Empire in 2001.
CBS News
CBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
.
Threlkeld grew up in Barrington, Illinois
Barrington, Illinois
Barrington is a suburban village in Cook County, Illinois and Lake County, Illinois. The population was 10,327 at the 2010 census. Located approximately northwest of Chicago, the area features wetlands, forest preserves, parks and horse trails in a country-suburban setting...
. He earned a degree in history and political science from Ripon College
Ripon College (Wisconsin)
Ripon College is a liberal arts college in Ripon, Wisconsin, USA. It offers small class sizes and intensive mentoring to students. Ripon has a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa--one of the nation's most prestigious honor societies. Alumni have high rates of success in the workforce as well as acceptance...
. He then earned a master's degree from Medill School of Journalism
Medill School of Journalism
The Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications is a constituent school of Northwestern University which offers both undergraduate and graduate programs. It has consistently been one of the top-ranked schools in Journalism in the United States...
at Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
.
Threlkeld held positions at WHAS-TV in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
and WMT-TV in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids is the second largest city in Iowa and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and east of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city...
. He joined CBS News in 1966 and stayed there until December 1981, serving as co-anchor of the CBS Morning News (with Lesley Stahl
Lesley Stahl
Lesley Rene Stahl is an American television journalist. Since 1991, she has reported for CBS on 60 Minutes.-Personal life:...
) from 1977 to 1979. He covered John Paul II's visit to Mexico in 1979.
Threlkeld went to ABC News
ABC News
ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
in 1982 and was given the special assignment of filing a weekly Status Report segment for World News Tonight, which sought to give a deeper perspective to the week's most important story. In that role, he reported on the Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
, the invasion of Lebanon
1982 Lebanon War
The 1982 Lebanon War , , called Operation Peace for Galilee by Israel, and later known in Israel as the Lebanon War and First Lebanon War, began on 6 June 1982, when the Israel Defense Forces invaded southern Lebanon...
and many other domestic and international issues. Status Reports won a DuPont-Columbia Award
DuPont-Columbia Award
The Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Award is an American award that honors excellence in broadcast journalism. The awards, administered since 1968 by the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York City, are considered a broadcast equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize, another...
in 1983.
After seven years at ABC, Threlkeld returned to CBS in 1989 and remained there until his retirement in 1999.
During his news career, Threlkeld also covered the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, the Persian Gulf War, and the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989
Tiananmen Square protests of 1989
The Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, also known as the June Fourth Incident in Chinese , were a series of demonstrations in and near Tiananmen Square in Beijing in the People's Republic of China beginning on 15 April 1989...
. In the United States he covered such stories as the Robert F. Kennedy assassination
Robert F. Kennedy assassination
The assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, a United States Senator and brother of assassinated President John F. Kennedy, took place shortly after midnight on June 5, 1968, in Los Angeles, California...
and the Patty Hearst
Patty Hearst
Patricia Campbell Hearst , now known as Patricia Campbell Hearst Shaw, is an American newspaper heiress, socialite, actress, kidnap victim, and convicted bank robber....
kidnapping, as well as numerous political campaigns.
Threlkeld's last assignment before retirement was as CBS News Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
correspondent. His wife, Betsy Aaron, was CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
Moscow correspondent at the same time. He and his wife retired to Tucson, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
.
Threlkeld authored the book Dispatches from the Former Evil Empire in 2001.