Morley Safer
Details
- Date of Birth:
- November 8, 1931
- Hometown:
- Toronto
Bio:
Morley Safer (born November 8, 1931 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian-American reporter and correspondent. Morley grew up in Toronto, attending Harbord Collegiate Institute and Bloor Collegiate, Clinton Street Public school. Morley briefly attended the University of Western Ontario before landing his first newspaper job in 1951 at the Sentinel-Review in Woodstock, Ontario. Morley soon joined the Canadian Broadcasting Company and became a pioneer in TV war coverage, especially during the 1956 Egypt-Israel conflict. In 1964, he joined CBS and spent two years covering the conflict in Vietnam. Morely reported on U.S. Marine setting huts on fire with a cigarette lighter, giving the American public a clearer look into the war (while earning the wrath of then President Lyndon Johnson.) After the conflict, Morley was appointed CBS’s London bureau chief in 1967, which he held until 1970 when he joined the staff of CBS’s 60 Minutes. For over 40 years, Morley worked with the legendary news program, earning 12 Emmy Awards, three Overseas Press Club awards, three Peabody Awards and two Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia University Awards. Morley is also the author of the bestselling book, Flashbacks; On Returning to Vietnam, which details his 1989 trip back to the country where he interviewed with known and lesser-known Vietnamese people, many of them veterans of the war. On May 11, 2016, Morley announced his retirement from the program. Morley passed away on May 19, 2016, just days after his very last episode of 60 Minutes.
Best Known For:
Morley Safer is best known as a reporter and correspondent on 60 Minutes.
Personal Life:
Morely and his wife, Jane Fearer, live in New York City. They have a daughter, Sarah Alice Anne Safer, who is also a freelance journalist. Morley still maintains his Canadian citizenship.