Andy Rooney facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Andy Rooney
Rooney in June 2008
Born	Andrew Aitken Rooney (1919-01-14)January 14, 1919 Albany, New York, U.S.
Died	November 4, 2011(2011-11-04) (aged 92) New York City, U.S.
Education	The Albany Academy
Alma mater	Colgate University
Years active	1942–2011
Notable works	The weekly broadcast "A Few Minutes with Andy Rooney" on 60 Minutes
Notable awards	Emmy 2003 Lifetime Achievement 1980 "Tanks" 1980 "Grain" 1978 "Who Owns What in America" 1968 "Black History: Lost, Stolen, or Strayed"
Spouse	Marguerite Rooney ​ ​ (m. 1942; died 2004)​
Children	4, including Emily

Andrew Aitken Rooney (born January 14, 1919 – died November 4, 2011) was an American writer for radio and television. He was most famous for his weekly broadcast called "A Few Minutes with Andy Rooney." This segment was part of the CBS News show 60 Minutes from 1978 to 2011. His last regular appearance on 60 Minutes was on October 2, 2011. He passed away a month later when he was 92 years old.

Early Life and Education

Andrew Aitken Rooney was born in Albany, New York. His parents were Walter Scott Rooney and Ellinor (Reynolds) Rooney. He went to The Albany Academy for school. Later, he attended Colgate University in central New York. He joined a fraternity there called Sigma Chi. In August 1941, he was drafted into the United States Army.

Andy Rooney as a War Correspondent

Rooney started his writing career in 1942 while in the Army. He began writing for Stars and Stripes in London. This newspaper was for American soldiers. In February 1943, he was one of six reporters who flew on the second American bombing mission over Germany. He flew with the Eighth Air Force.

He was the first journalist to reach the Ludendorff Bridge on March 7, 1945. This bridge was captured by the 9th Armored Division during the Battle of Remagen. Rooney was about 32 kilometers (20 miles) away when he heard the bridge was taken. He wrote that it was "a reporter's dream" and "one of the great stories of the war." The capture of the bridge was big news in America. Rooney thought it was one of the top five events of the entire war in Europe. He put it alongside D-Day, the huge invasion of Normandy.

Rooney was also one of the first American journalists to visit the Nazi concentration camps. This was near the end of World War II. He was one of the first to write about the terrible things he saw there. He once said he had been against World War II because he believed in peace. But what he saw in those camps made him feel ashamed. It changed his mind forever about whether some wars can be necessary.

For his work as a war correspondent in combat areas, Rooney received awards. He was given the Bronze Star Medal and the Air Medal. His book My War (1995) tells about his reporting during the war. It shares his firsthand experiences of important events and people. He wrote about entering Paris and seeing the Nazi concentration camps. He explained how these experiences shaped him as a writer and reporter.

Television Career and Writing

Rooney joined CBS in 1949. He started as a writer for Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts. This was a very popular show at the time. It helped him become good friends with Arthur Godfrey. He also wrote for Godfrey's other shows. Later, he worked on The Garry Moore Show. He also wrote public affairs programs for CBS News, like The Twentieth Century.

In 1964, Rooney wrote his first television essay called "An Essay on Doors." This was a longer version of the short pieces he would later do on 60 Minutes. From 1962 to 1968, he worked with CBS News reporter Harry Reasoner. Rooney wrote and produced, and Reasoner narrated. They created CBS News specials like "An Essay on Bridges" (1965) and "An Essay on Women" (1967). In 1968, he wrote for a documentary series called Of Black America. His script for "Black History: Lost, Stolen, or Strayed" won him his first Emmy Award.

In 1970, CBS would not broadcast his World War II story called "An Essay on War." So, Rooney left CBS and read his story himself on PBS. This was his first time appearing on television. That show won him his third Writers Guild Award in 1971. He returned to CBS in 1973 to write and produce special programs. He also wrote the script for the 1975 documentary FDR: The Man Who Changed America.

After returning to CBS, Rooney wrote and appeared in several special shows. These included In Praise of New York City (1974) and Mr. Rooney Goes to Washington (1975). Transcripts of these shows are in his book A Few Minutes with Andy Rooney.

A Few Minutes with Andy Rooney

Rooney's famous segment on 60 Minutes started in 1978. It was called "A Few Minutes with Andy Rooney." It was first a summer replacement for a debate segment. People liked it so much that it became a regular part of the show.

In his segment, Rooney would often share his thoughts on everyday things. He would talk about the cost of groceries, annoying relatives, or gifts that didn't work. He often made funny lists, like different types of milk or car brands. In later years, his segments sometimes became more about politics. Even though he was famous for being on TV, Rooney always thought of himself as a writer first. He just happened to appear on television behind his famous walnut table, which he made himself.

Books and Retirement

Many of Rooney's shorter television essays have been put into books. Some of these include Common Nonsense (2002) and Years of Minutes (2003). He also wrote a regular newspaper column that appeared in many U.S. newspapers. These columns were also collected into books. He won three Emmy Awards for his essays. He received a special Lifetime Achievement Emmy in 2003.

Because he was so well-known, many comedians would imitate him. These included Frank Caliendo and Rich Little.

In 1993, CBS released a two-volume video set of his best commentaries. In 2006, CBS released three DVDs of his more recent commentaries.

Rooney's final regular appearance on 60 Minutes was on October 2, 2011. He had been on the show for 33 years. It was his 1,097th commentary.

Andy Rooney's Views

Rooney once said on Larry King Live that he had a "liberal bias." He meant that his opinions often leaned towards liberal ideas. He often shared his thoughts on many topics, including his personal views on religion.

He was proud of his Irish background. However, he always said, "I'm not Irish. I'm not even Irish-American. I am American, period." He also spoke out about fairness in journalism.

Personal Life

Rooney was married to Marguerite "Margie" Howard for 62 years. She passed away in 2004 from heart failure. He later wrote that it hurt too much to write her name often in his essays. They had four children: Ellen, Emily, Martha, and Brian.

His daughter Emily Rooney is a TV talk show host. She used to be a producer for ABC News. She later hosted a show in Boston called Greater Boston. Emily's identical twin, Martha Fishel, worked at the National Library of Medicine. Her son Justin works as a producer for ABC News. His first daughter, Ellen Rooney, was a film editor at ABC News. She is now a photographer in London. His son, Brian Rooney, has been a reporter for ABC since the 1980s.

Rooney also had a sister named Nancy Reynolds Rooney.

Rooney lived in Rowayton, Connecticut, and in Rensselaerville, New York. He was a longtime fan of the New York Giants football team.

Death

Andy Rooney was hospitalized on October 25, 2011. He had problems after a surgery. He died on November 4, 2011, at the age of 92. This was less than five weeks after his last appearance on 60 Minutes.

Awards

• 2001 – Emperor Has No Clothes Award from the Freedom From Religion Foundation.
• 2003 – Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism.

Books

Books written by Andy Rooney:

• Conquerors' Peace; report to the American stockholders, by Oram C. Hutton and Andrew A. Rooney. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1947. ()
• A Few Minutes With Andy Rooney, 1981 (ISBN: 0-689-11194-0)
• And More by Andy Rooney, 1982 (ISBN: 0-517-40622-5)
• Pieces of My Mind, 1984 (ISBN: 0-689-11492-3)
• The Most of Andy Rooney, 1986 (ISBN: 0-689-11864-3)
• Word for Word, 1988 (ISBN: 0-399-13200-7)
• Not That You Asked ..., 1989 (ISBN: 0-394-57837-6)
• Most of Andy Rooney, 1990 (ISBN: 0-88365-765-1)
• Sweet and Sour, 1992 (ISBN: 0-399-13774-2)
• My War, 1995 (ISBN: 0-517-17986-5)
• Sincerely, Andy Rooney, 1999 (ISBN: 1-891620-34-7)
• The Complete Andy Rooney, 2000 (ISBN: 0-446-11219-4)
• Common Nonsense, 2002, (ISBN: 1-586482-00-9)
• Years of Minutes, 2003 (ISBN: 1-58648-211-4)
• Out of My Mind, 2006 (ISBN: 1-58648-416-8)
• 60 Years of Wisdom and Wit, 2009 (ISBN: 1-58648-773-6)

See Also

In Spanish: Andy Rooney para niños

• Rooney (surname)