Charles Kuralt (September 10, 1934-July 4, 1997)

“Thanks to the Interstate Highway System, it is now possible to travel across the country from coast to coast without seeing anything.”  CK
Widely known for his long career with CBS, first for his “On the Road” segments on The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite, and later as the first anchor of CBS News Sunday Morning. His work “captured the individuality of the people, the dynamic growth inherent in the area, and …the rich heritage of this great nation.”

To this day, Charles Kuralt’s voice links me to the meaning of what it means to live in America, to be an American. I miss his stories of the men and women he encountered on the road. Though we never knew these people, through Kuralt’s, eyes, we understood and recognized them as fellow Americans. He captured in words and on film our best moments. He had the gift of good humor, even pure joy, while clearly seeing our human nature. He always seemed present to the moment he found himself in and shared that moment profoundly. It is America’s loss that he is not here to call us back to our best selves.

“There are a lot of people who are doing wonderful things, quietly, with no motive of greed, or hostility toward other people, or delusions of superiority.” CK