Journalist. He was considered by many to be the "Dean of the Wire Service Reporters". Before satellite trucks and cellular phones, Smith was responsible for the United Press International seat at the White House. Smith covered the White House through six administrations from Roosevelt to Nixon. He was on duty the day Roosevelt died; the day the end of World War II was announced; throughout the election of Harry Truman and during the assassination of John F. Kennedy. It was his reporting of the Kennedy assassination that won Smith the Pulitzer Prize. Smith grabbed the radiophone in the wire services pool car to announce to the world first that shots were fired at Kennedy. He was also the first to report the wounding and the death of Kennedy. He was also the only wire service reporter onboard Air Force One when Johnson was sworn in as President, and for the trip back to Washington. Smith committed suicide in 1970 at age 57. His family was granted special permission to bury him in Arlington National Cemetery, next to his son.
Journalist. He was considered by many to be the "Dean of the Wire Service Reporters". Before satellite trucks and cellular phones, Smith was responsible for the United Press International seat at the White House. Smith covered the White House through six administrations from Roosevelt to Nixon. He was on duty the day Roosevelt died; the day the end of World War II was announced; throughout the election of Harry Truman and during the assassination of John F. Kennedy. It was his reporting of the Kennedy assassination that won Smith the Pulitzer Prize. Smith grabbed the radiophone in the wire services pool car to announce to the world first that shots were fired at Kennedy. He was also the first to report the wounding and the death of Kennedy. He was also the only wire service reporter onboard Air Force One when Johnson was sworn in as President, and for the trip back to Washington. Smith committed suicide in 1970 at age 57. His family was granted special permission to bury him in Arlington National Cemetery, next to his son.
Family Members
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