Bill Monroe

In his three-and-a-half-hour interview, Bill Monroe (1920-2011) talks about growing up in New Orleans, where he became a print and radio journalist. He speaks about his first job in television, at WDSU-TV, where, as news director, he instituted the use of television cameras in the state legislature and pioneered the broadcast of on-camera editorials. He details his move to Washington, D.C., where he became NBC's bureau chief. Monroe presents his perspective on several noteworthy events of the era including the Civil Rights Movement, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the Kennedy assassination. He chronicles his work as executive producer and moderator of Meet the Press (from 1975-84) and that of special contributor (from 1984-86). He also recalls his lifelong commitment as a proponent of First Amendment rights. Karen Herman conducted the interview on June 13, 2005 in Bethesda, MD.