For almost two decades, Walter Cronkite symbolized news delivery, delivering the latest events for CBS Evening News, signing off with his trademark closing remark: "And that’s the way it is." He was a source of information and a media resource for millions of viewers nightly. Cronkite was well-respected in the journalism profession as well, with many modern newscasters taking cues from his steady, consistent career and wild popularity with a diverse demographic.

Born on November 4, 1916, in St. Joseph, Missouri, Cronkite moved to Texas with his family when he was a young child. He attended the University of Texas, but dropped out during his junior year to pursue a career as a journalist. He covered news and sports for a series of different newspapers early on in his career, and became a United Press war correspondent in 1942. He began a correspondent for CBS in 1950 and became the network’s evening news anchor in 1962, replacing Edward Douglas. Not long after he replaced Douglas, Cronkite quickly won over the CBS audience, bringing new fans to the network and establishing himself as a force in the news casting profession.

Until he retired in 1981, Cronkite kept CBS ahead of the competition in the ratings. His demeanor was one of calm and trust, which the public related to well, specifically during times of national and international turmoil. He was the first to report the assassination of John F. Kennedy and even shed a tear on air, which became one of the most historical moments in news history. At this point, no newscaster in his history had shown his range of emotion on air, while still managing to complete the job of reporting on such difficult stories. He even interjected personal commentary during the lift of the Apollo XI, cheering out: "Go Baby, Go," as the rocket launched into space. In addition to his duties as Evening News Anchor, Cronkite was also the Managing Editor for the broadcast and had a fierce dedication to fast, unbiased reporting.

He was known for reporting the facts in a manner that incorporated the human elements of a story and was known for taking few risks throughout his steady, strong, reliable career. In fact, he was the viewer’s choice for news broadcasting until he retired.

Cronkite stayed busy even after retirement, broadcasting for special events, such as John Glenn’s mission into space in 1998. He also hosted PBS’s New Year’s Eve broadcast featuring the Vienna Philharmonic and narrated a number of other specials during his post-retirement years both for PBS and other networks.

Cronkite lost his wife of 65 years, Betsy, in 2005 and passed away himself in July 2009, after a struggle with cerebrovascular disease. Industry veterans were devastated with the loss of the man that inspired many journalism careers. Moreover, Americans were heartbroken from the loss of a journalist who represented stability, reliability and accurate reporting through domestic and international events for many important moments in American history.

A. B. Barden
Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren has become a household name in the world of fashion, becoming synonymous with timeless, classic style. Lauren began his fashion empire with the design of a line of ties that Bloomingdale’s declined to sell; however, as the first designer to have his own retail boutique, Lauren has become a powerful brand, integrated into the inventory of countless other retailers around the world.
Born Ralph Lifshitz in the Bronx, New York in 1939, Lauren has a keen sense of style at a young age. The youngest of four brothers from a middle-class Jewish family, he changed his name at the age of 16 and enrolled in Baruch College with a focus on business. His education formal education would come to an end, however, when Lauren dropped out and enrolled in the Army (serving from 1962-64).
He founded Polo Fashions in 1968, which was also the year he was married. During its initial debut in the fashion world, Lauren struggled to achieve a level of credibility among fashion critics and buyers alike. Moreover, Lauren had little respect among the fashion elite initially as he began his company with a line of wide ties. He then went up against the more established Armani with a line of power suits in the 1980s. By the 1990s, the Ralph Lauren Polo brand had exploded in popularity with Lauren expanding his line of clothing to include offerings for women, children and the home décor market, including bedding sets and towels.