Andy Rooney American writer, journalist, comedian, television host Date of Birth: 14.01.1919 Country: USA

1. Andy Rooney Biography
2. Early Life and Education
3. Journalism Career and World War II
4. CBS and Television Career
5. Personal Life and Legacy

Andy Rooney Biography

Andy Rooney was an American writer, journalist, humorist, and television host. He was best known for his program "A Few Minutes with Andy Rooney," which was a segment of the news program "60 Minutes" on CBS. Rooney hosted the show from 1978 until 2011. He made his final appearance on "60 Minutes" on October 2, 2011, and passed away a month later on November 4.

Early Life and Education

Andrew Aitken Rooney was born on January 14, 1919, in Albany, New York. He attended The Albany Academy, a prestigious school for boys. Afterward, he enrolled at Colgate University in Hamilton, where he joined the fraternity "Sigma Chi."

Journalism Career and World War II

In August 1941, Rooney joined the army and began his journalism career while on military service. He started writing for "Stars and Stripes" in London during World War II. In February 1943, he became one of the six correspondents who flew with the Air Corps during the second American bombing of Germany. He later became one of the first American journalists to visit Nazi concentration camps at the end of the war and wrote about them. Rooney revealed in Tom Brokaw's book "The Greatest Generation" that he was initially a pacifist and opposed World War II. However, his experiences in the concentration camps changed his perspective on "just wars."

CBS and Television Career

In 1949, Rooney joined CBS as a writer for "Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts," a popular show hosted by Arthur Godfrey. Rooney then moved to "The Garry Moore Show," where he worked as a writer and gained more popularity. Simultaneously, he worked on news programs, including "The Twentieth Century." Rooney wrote his first television essay in 1964, and in 1968, his essay "Black History: Lost, Stolen, or Strayed" earned him his first Emmy award. In 1970, when CBS refused to air his essay on the Vietnam War, titled "An Essay on War," Rooney left the network and joined PBS for a while. However, CBS invited him back in 1973. Rooney became the face of the program "60 Minutes," and when he was temporarily suspended for ethical reasons in 1990, the show lost 20 percent of its audience, prompting his immediate return.

Personal Life and Legacy

Rooney was married to Marguerite Rooney for 62 years until her death in 2004. They had four children: Brian Rooney, a correspondent for ABC; Emily Rooney, a television host and producer; Martha Rooney, the head of the Public Services Management at the National Library of Medicine in Bethesda, Maryland; and Ellen Rooney, a London-based photographer. Rooney lived in Norwalk, Connecticut, and Rensselaerville, New York, and was a devoted fan of the New York Giants football team. He was hospitalized for post-operative complications on October 25, 2011, and passed away on November 4, 2011, at the age of 92.