John Charles Daly
John Charles Patrick Croghan Daly[1][2] (February 20, 1914 – February 24, 1991)[3] was an American journalist, host, radio and television personality, ABC News executive, TV anchor, and game show host, best known for his work on the CBS panel game show What's My Line?
John Charles Daly
February 24, 1991 (aged 77)
John Daly
Reporter, newscaster
Game show host
1937-1987
6
Daly was the first national correspondent to report the attack on Pearl Harbor and the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt. During World War II, Daly covered front-line news from Europe and North Africa.
Early life[edit]
After his father died of a tropical fever, Daly's mother moved the family to Boston, Massachusetts. At that time, John was 11 years old, and attended the Tilton School, where he later served on its board of directors for many years, contributing to the construction or restoration of many buildings on campus. He did his post-secondary education at a junior college and graduated from Boston College.[3] Daly worked for a time in a wool factory, and at a transit company in Washington, D.C., before becoming a reporter for NBC Radio, and later for CBS.[3]
Career[edit]
Radio[edit]
Daly began his broadcasting career as a reporter for NBC Radio and then WJSV, the local CBS Radio Network affiliate in Washington, D.C., as CBS' White House correspondent.[3] He appears on the famous "One Day in Radio" tapes of September 21, 1939, in which WJSV preserved its entire broadcast day for posterity. In this presentation, Daly has a mid-morning show as a man-on-the-street reporter asking quiz questions of passersby.
While covering the Roosevelt White House, Daly became known to the national CBS audience as the network announcer for many of the President's speeches. In late 1941, Daly transferred to New York City, where he became anchor of The World Today. During World War II, he covered the news from London as well as the North African and Italian fronts. Daly was a war correspondent in 1943 in Italy during Gen. George S. Patton's infamous "slapping incidents." After the war, he was a lead reporter on CBS Radio's news/entertainment program CBS Is There (later revived for television as the Walter Cronkite-hosted series You Are There), which recreated the great events of history as if CBS correspondents were on the scene.
Tilton School[edit]
At his alma mater, the Tilton School, there is an award named for Daly given to "persons whose pursuit of excellence and deep commitment as a member of the school family resembles that of John Daly's involvement with Tilton: continuous and widely known expressions of support in word and deed, inspiring others to reach goals that common experience dictates are impossible." Every year during Alumni Weekend Tilton School recognizes outstanding alumni during School Meeting on Saturday. Four awards for consideration are Alumnus of the Year, George L. Plimpton Award, John Charles Daly Award, and Artist Hall of Fame.[19]