Dan Rather Age, Net Worth, Family, Career ,height and weight 2025
Dan Rather is a name that is familiar to many people, although may not be those that are close to news. He is a steady, serious, calm, and steady man, who over decades was a regular figure on television screens introducing millions of people to the national and global narrative. His life is full of triumph, controversy, and change. It is in this article that you will read about how Dan Rather started his career in a small town in Texas and came to be among the most known news anchors in America, his post anchor desk work and the current contributions he is making to mark in the field of journalism.
Clear headings, simple language, and strong facts will be used. There will be also tables to plan significant data. At the conclusion, you will have a good idea of who Dan Rather is, what he did, why he is important, and what we can learn out of his story.
Who Is Dan Rather?
Early Life and Beginnings Dan Rather was born on the 31 st of October 1931 in Wharton, Texas, though his family relocated to Houston where he was raised in a working-class area. His father was a newspaper lover who read it always, and neither of his parents had managed to get a college education.
As a young boy, Rather had rheumatic fever and spent many days listening to radio programmes. Those are the broadcasts that influenced his early wishes to become a news reporter. In 1953, he joined Sam Houston State College (now university) where he graduated with a degree in journalism.
During his education, he also worked in radio stations locally, and also in associated press and united press international. These formative years gave him experience on the ground on how to report on local events.
Dan Rather biography
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Daniel Irvin Rather Jr. |
| Known As | Dan Rather |
| Date of Birth | October 31, 1931 |
| Place of Birth | Wharton, Texas, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | B.A. in Journalism, Sam Houston State University (1953) |
| Occupation | Journalist, News Anchor, Author |
| Years Active | 1950–present |
| Major Employer | CBS News (1962–2006) |
| Famous For | Anchor of CBS Evening News (1981–2005), coverage of JFK assassination, Vietnam War, Watergate, and 9/11 |
| Awards & Honors | Peabody Awards, Emmy Awards, Television Academy Hall of Fame (2004) |
| Notable Program | Dan Rather Reports (AXS TV, 2006–2013) |
| Current Work | Writes on Substack (Steady), appears in interviews, and features in the 2024 Netflix documentary Rather |
| Net Worth (Estimated) | Around $70 million (as of 2025) |
| Spouse | Jean Goebel (married 1957) |
| Children | 2 (including Dan Rather Jr.) |
| Key Traits | Persistent, principled, inquisitive, advocate of media ethics |
| Legacy | Symbol of integrity in American journalism and a voice for press freedom |
Increase in Television Journalism.
Following college, Dan Rather shifted his focus, but not radio and print, to television. He took employment in the radio department of KTRH and transferred to the local television in Houston. By the year 1960, he had attracted attention to his report on the Hurricane Carla in Texas. His TV career nationally was launched with that coverage.
Rather joined CBS News as a correspondent in March 1962. Throughout his career, he was in most of the significant reporting jobs: wars, politics, crises, and historic events.
Rather succeeded Walter Cronkite as anchor of the CBS Evening News in 1981 and served in that capacity until 2005. He has had a 24-year streak with one of the longest nightly news records in the history of the United States.
Year Role / Event
1953 Graduated with degree in journalism.
1962 Joined the CBS News as a correspondent.
1981 Was made anchor of the CBS Evening News.
2005 Stepped down as anchor
2006 Left CBS News after 44 years
Major Feats and Influence in Journalism.
The Art of Reporting on Landmark Events. Throughout his CBS 40 years of service, Dan Rather covered most of the events that defined the course of history: President Kennedy (1963) assassination: Days after the assassination of President Kennedy, Rather was one of the reporters who were present in Dallas.
Vietnam War and civil rights movement: He documented protests, political choices and human cost of war. Watergate scandal and U.S. politics: As a correspondent of CBS, he anchored in-depth reporting, court cases, and political developments within Washington. 9/11 and post-9/11 coverage: From the perspective of the anchorer, he covered extended reporting during crisis periods. He also found himself in the middle of the battle on the occasions when America required authoritative voices to be heard.
Awards, Honors and Public Recognition.
Dan Rather was famous among journalists and the broadcasting community. In 2004, he became a member of the Television Academy Hall of Fame.
He was one of the most famous journalists in America because of his decades of work in a flagship news program.
Impact on Journalism Culture.
The style of Dan Rather was one that was tough and empathetic. He would ask tough questions, and he also listened and displayed the human face of news. He still took part in the discourse after leaving CBS, writing opinion articles, conducting interviews and making investigative work. His life and his work has been frequently seen as a model of persistence, nuance and devotion to journalism.
The Alternating Moments and Scandals.
The Bush National Guard and CBS Departure Story. The reason behind one of the biggest turning points in the career of Rather was the story on the National Guard service of President George W. Bush. In 2004, a report on CBS raised questions about the Guard record of Bush after relying mainly on documents whose credibility was eventually put into question.
CBS has not effectively verified all the documents, and the critics claimed the network did not meet the journalistic standards. Instead, being the anchor who introduced it, the person received excessive examination.
Work and Public Voice (After CBS).
Rather also left CBS and started Dan Rather Reports on AXS TV in 2006. The latter show was continued until 2013 and enabled him to concentrate on field journalism, investigative reporting, and in-depth reporting. He also started publishing on Substack as Steady and comments on up-to-date events.
In April 2024, Rather appeared on CBS Sunday Morning in his first interview on the program in 18 years. It was a reverberant one: a longtime personality coming back to the network that had defined much about his public personality.
New Policy Statements and Discussions.
Dan Rather is not silent about journalism, media integrity, and politics even at the age of 90s. Just one of the recent headlines: he attacked Paramount (the parent company of CBS) to settle a lawsuit with Donald Trump with a 16 million dollar settlement after alleging that it had doctored an interview in 60 Minutes. Instead of referring to the deal as a sell-out, the press showed much concern about freedom of the press.
In October 2025, he challenged the decision to hire Bari Weiss as the Editor-in-Chief of CBS News in public, saying that her lack of experience in conventional journalism would undermine the independence of the network. These posts demonstrate that Rather is still interested in the form and morality of journalism in a shifting media environment.
Dan Rather today: Work, Presence, and Legacy.
Ongoing Projects and Communication with the outside world. Dan Rather now is not a news anchor every day; he still is at work: He posts on Substack (Steady), which he comments and insight.
He gives interview, addresses events and appears in the media reconsidering journalism and news. On May 1, 2024, Netflix released a documentary with the title Rather that narrates his life and discusses his legacy in journalism.
In 2024, he returned in a notable way to CBS News in a lengthy interview, which solidifies his continued ties with the network. Such diverse activities indicate that Rather still influences the debate about news, truth, and ethics.
Social Attitudes and Effects.
The opinions of people towards Dan Rather are rather ambivalent in some circles, people respect his experience and efforts and critics refer to the Bush-Guard report as one of the failures of journalism. However, he is viewed by many as an icon of a particular period in broadcast journalism when anchors of the news were the voice of truth in the country.
The long tenure, breadth of coverage and his readiness to challenge authority have made an indelible mark. He is a significant influence on many younger journalists, and his archives and papers are preserved in institutions (such as the Briscoe Center) to be studied in the future.
Dan Rather Compared to his Peers.
Journalist Network / Role Strong points Key Strengths Challenges or Criticism.
Dan Rather CBS Evening News anchor (19812005) Footage, years in the field, good political reporting, perceived bias here and there
by Bush Guard contentiousness, sometimes perceived bias
Walter Cronkite Preexisting Rather CBS anchor Reliable image, unemotional style, field reporting, age / retirement.
Tom Brokaw NBC Nightly News Expansive global news, even-handedness A minor critique of fluff, style over substance.
Peter Jennings ABC Deep foreign and international reporting Early death, less tenure than others.
As indicated in this table, the style of Rather, which was a combination of field reporting, political in-depth and a solid anchor presence was different. His readiness to go into hard stories would place him on an advantage yet it would leave him more vulnerable.
Lessons of the Story of Dan Rather.
Although the life and career of Dan Rather is an exceptional case, it can still teach lessons to individuals in various professions, or simply to people who are interested enough to read it:
Look deeper, not at headlines. Instead of only repeating what people said, went to places where news was happening quite frequently. Be resilient. Scandals did not prevent him to proceed in journalism in other aspects.
Responsible use of platform. He used to talk of journalistic ethics, freedom of press, and the conflict between business and truth.
Adapt to changes. Being out of CBS, he scored fresh avenues in digital media, interviews and commentary. Honor history but stay open. The fact that he returned to the CBS news to be interviewed demonstrated that he respected the institutions he worked in despite criticizing some of it.
Summary
Dan Rather is not only a television anchor in the history of America. He is a narrator, a front rows reporter, a critic of the media conventions, and someone who continued beyond his prime years as a broadcast personality. His journey has been long and torturous since childhood in Texas to one of the most influential news personalities in America.
He reported on some of the most important events in the world, war, assassinations, political upheavals and he aided in enlightening the people. His work was honored and recognized. But this was not the only controversy he encountered and also left CBS on a dark note. Still, he re-invented himself using fresh media, commentary, and engagement with the populace.
Nowadays, Dan Rather remains a player in the discussion of journalism who challenges authority and protects freedom of the press. His narrative provides a teaching on perseverance, accountability and change. The legacy of Dan Rather is a valuable resource to any person interested in journalism, media ethics, or how the work of one person can touch millions of people.
FAQs
1.What made Dan Rather famous?
Dan Rather is widely known because of his very long career with CBS News, particularly his work on the CBS Evening News between 1981 and 2005 as well as his coverage of major events such as the assassination of Kennedy, the Vietnam War, and political news in the United States.
2.What is the impact of the Bush National Guard scandal on the career of Dan Rather?
The fact that the 2004 CBS report about the George W. Bush Guard service was controversial, tainted the credibility of the news item. As the anchor who launched it, Rather was criticized. This incident helped him retire in 2005 and quit CBS in 2006.
3.What is Dan Rather doing now?
Dan Rather is still engaged in the social dialogue. He writes with Substack, appears in interviews, talks and is the subject of a Netflix documentary Rather.
4.Why did Dan Rather attack Paramount in settling with Trump?
In 2025, Paramount settled a lawsuit filed by Donald Trump against the company, seeking $16 million, and claiming it was being edited in an interview on 60 Minutes. Instead attacked the deal, terming it as a sell-out and bad influence on journalistic autonomy.
5.What is the impact of legacy of Dan Rather on journalism?
The legacy of Dan Rather has various impacts on journalism, among them being his demonstration that in-depth reporting is important, reminding the media houses of the conflict between business and the truth, motivating the young reporters, and putting doubts on the responsibilities of the press. Scholars also use his archives.
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