Tim Russert

Born in Buffalo, NY, Russert grew up in a predominantly Irish Catholic neighborhood where he was raised by his father, Timothy Sr., a World War II veteran who simultaneously worked as a truck driver and a sanitation worker, and his mother, Elizabeth, a homemaker. He received a Jesuit education at Canisius High School in Buffalo, then earned a partial scholarship to attend John Carroll University. To pay the rest of his tuition, Russert worked on a sanitation truck, drove taxis and delivered pizza - a solid work ethic instilled by his father. After graduating college, he worked full-time as a teacher and had his first introduction into politics when he took a job with George D. O'Connell, the City Comptroller of Buffalo. Returning to school, he attended Cleveland-Marshall Law, where he earned his law degree in 1976. When he was fresh out of college, Russert entered the political arena by volunteering for Daniel Patrick Moynihan, who was running for the U.S. Senate for the first time. Russert was instrumental enough in the campaign for Moynihan for the politician to invite him to work with him in Washington, D.C.After spending two years working for Moynihan in Washington, during which he made several trips to Ireland, Russert left to return to New York, where he worked on Mario Cuomo's gubernatorial campaign in 1982. He served as Cuomo's counselor until 1984, when he was convinced by friend Leonard Garment, former counsel to Richard Nixon, to make his first foray into television. Russert spent four years as the executive in charge of "Today" (NBC, 1952-), then moved back down to Washington to run NBC's news bureau. Russert's knowledge of Washington politics and players impressed Michael Gertner, then head of the news division, who gave him a shot to moderate the long-running political talker, "Meet the Press" (NBC, 1947-), when the slot opened up in 1991. Russert quickly developed a reputation as being a tough, but fair interviewer, whose tenacity and knowledge was formidable. In short order, Russert took the last place show and turned it into a ratings winner, and along the way changed how politics in Washington was covered, thanks to his honesty and sheer preparedness.Over the years, Russert was able to maintain his weekly commitment as Managing Editor and Moderator for "Meet the Press," while diversifying his duties in a number of areas. One of his favorite activities was reporting the returns on election nights, when he exhaustively made the rounds on both NBC and MSNBC. His most memorable moment came during the 2000 campaign between Al Gore and George W. Bush, when Russert famously went old school and drew up numerous possibilities for the Electoral College results using nothing more than a white board and markers, predicting the race would come down to "Florida, Florida, Florida." Four years later, he pulled the same feat in the contest between President Bush and Senator John Kerry, calling for the race to be decided in Ohio. Russert also moderated numerous debates between presidential contenders, both in the primaries and during the general election. In 2004, he published his first book, Big Russ and Me, a look at his upbringing in South Buffalo and the strong values instilled in him by his father, which became a New York Times #1 bestseller. The following year, he earned an Emmy for his coverage of President Ronald Reagan's funeral; just one of many awards and honors that included a 2001 Edward R. Murrow Award for Overall Excellence in Television Journalism and an induction into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame.In 2006, Russert published his second New York Times #1 bestseller, Wisdom of Our Fathers: Lessons and Letters from Daughters and Sons, a small collection taken from over 60,000 letters he received from people detailing their own experiences with their fathers after having read Big Russ and Me. Despite the many admirers of his integrity both inside and outside the Beltway, Russert brushed up against his share of controversy in 2007 when his involvement in the Plame affair was revealed. In 2003, the White House leaked the identity of a covert CIA agent, Valerie Plame, in retribution towards her husband, Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson, who wrote a New York Times op-ed countering administration claims that Saddam Hussein tried to purchase enriched uranium from Niger. Russert was named by I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, then chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, as his source for the leaked name. Russert testified before a grand jury to the contrary, giving what one juror deemed credible testimony which was instrumental in Libby's conviction for perjury and obstruction of justice.While the Plame affair engulfed Washington for the larger part of 2006 and 2007, Russert continued his duties on NBC and MSNBC unabated. In 2008, he was honored by Time magazine when he was named as one the "100 most influential people in the world." Meanwhile, Russert was fully in his element throughout the first half of 2008, covering the long and often contentious Democratic primary between Senator Barack Obama and Senator Hillary Clinton. Despite the grueling and often silly course the primary took, it was easy to see that Russert was fully engaged and passionate about covering perhaps the most historic presidential race in history. In fact, Russert was just gearing up for the general election between Obama and Republican Senator John McCain when he suddenly died on June 13, 2008, while recording voiceovers for his "Meet the Press" broadcast. He had just returned home from Italy, where his family was celebrating the graduation of his son, Luke, from Boston College. Russert was just 58. Fellow news anchor and friend Tom Brokaw first broke the news on MSNBC. Almost immediately, thoughts and remembrances flooded the airwaves and Internet from colleagues and politicians, all of whom expressed their shock and sadness over the sudden loss, including President Bush.