Bill Downs | |
|---|---|
 Downs in 1942 | |
| Born | William Randall Downs August 17, 1914 Kansas City, Kansas, U.S. |
| Died | May 3, 1978 (aged 63) |
| Education | University of Kansas |
| Occupations | |
| Years active | 1937–1978 |
| Spouse |
Rosalind Gerson (m. 1946) |
William Randall Downs, Jr. (August 17, 1914 – May 3, 1978) was an American broadcast journalist and war correspondent. He worked for CBS News from 1942 to 1962 and for ABC News beginning in 1963. He was one of the original members of the team of war correspondents known as the Murrow Boys.
Downs reported from both the Eastern and Western fronts during World War II, and was the first to deliver a live broadcast from Normandy to the United States after D-Day.[1] After the surrender in Europe, he joined a press party that toured Asia in the months leading up to the end of the Pacific War. He entered Tokyo with Allied occupation forces and covered the Japanese surrender, and was among the first Americans to enter Hiroshima after the atomic bombing.[2][3][4] He later covered the Bikini Atoll nuclear tests, the Berlin Blockade, and the Korean War.[5]
- ^ "Back to Normal Operations; Invasion Coverage Widened". Broadcasting. Vol. 26. 19 June 1944. p. 16. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
- ^ "Bill Downs, Top Flight Newsman, Joins ABC". The Fresno Bee. 19 January 1964. p. 98. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
- ^ Kelly 2009
- ^ Josyph 2012, pp. 253–254
- ^ Onofrio 2000, pp. 112–113