Howard K. Smith

Named one of the NCAA's 100 most influential student-athletes in 2006.

He was a writer and actor, known for V (1984), CBS Reports (1959) and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982). He was married to Benedicte Traberg.

Inducted into the Tulane University Athletics Hall of Fame in 1983.

Recipient of the Lowell Thomas Award from the International Platform Association in 1976 as outstanding electronic journalist of the year.

His commentary on the Vietnam War on the July 16, 1966 broadcast of ABC Scope, called "One Man's Opinion," was later published in book form.

Served as moderator for the first televised presidential debate in 1960 between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon.

Won numerous awards during his long career in broadcasting, including seven Overseas Press Club Awards (1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1961, 1966, 1975); the Peabody Award in 1960; the Emmy Award in 1961; the Paul White Memorial Award in 1961; the DuPont Commentator Award in 1962; and in 1976 he was a special Congressional honoree for his contribution to journalism.

Attended Oxford University in 1937 as a Rhodes Scholar.

Was a foreign press correspondant in Germany during the 1930s. Howard Smith was a friend to William Shirer and one of the few American reporters to have ever been admitted to the Berchtesgaden resort at Obersalzburg. There, Smith had the rare oppurtunity to meet and interview such figures as Joseph Goebbels, Heinrich Himmler, and Adolf Hitler. In later years, Smith was best known for his portrayal as the newscaster on the series "V" and also narratored several films including "Escape from Sobibor".

Howard K. Smith was born on May 12, 1914 in Ferriday, Louisiana, USA as Howard Kingsbury Smith.