anchorman (1952?)

[Dave Wilton]

> An article in today's Baltimore Sun
>
> (http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/arts/bal-as.hewitt28mar28,0,
> 6684849.stor
> y?coll=bal-artslife-society)
>
> states that "During the same convention, [Don] Hewitt and Sig
> Mickelson, then president of CBS News, coined the word
> 'anchorman' to describe a new style of reporting being done by
> their recent hire - a man named Cronkite."
>
> The convention was the 1952 Republican convention in Chicago. No
> citations are given. RHUD says 1955-60 for this usage; I don't
> find other dictionaries that date it.

I've heard this tale before, but can't remember where--it may have been a
broadcast interview with Cronkite telling the tale. My memory is that CBS
covered the convention with 3 other reporters and Cronkite serving as the
central figure. The term was taken from track and field usage, the
"anchorman" in a 4-person relay.

--Dave Wilton
  dave at wilton.net
  http://www.wilton.net