Bill Moyers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bill Moyers
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Moyers in 1966
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| 11th White House Press Secretary | |
| In office July 8, 1965 – February 1, 1967 |
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| President | Lyndon B. Johnson |
| Preceded by | George Reedy |
| Succeeded by | George Christian |
| White House Chief of Staff | |
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De facto
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| In office October 14, 1964 – July 8, 1965 |
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| President | Lyndon B. Johnson |
| Preceded by | Walter Jenkins (de facto) |
| Succeeded by | Jack Valenti (de facto) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Billy Don Moyers
June 5, 1934 Hugo, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Died | June 26, 2025 (aged 91) New York City, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Judith Davidson
(m. 1954) |
| Children | 3 |
| Education |
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Billy Don Moyers (born June 5, 1934 – died June 26, 2025) was an American journalist. He was also a political commentator. He served as the White House Press Secretary from 1965 to 1967. This role meant he spoke for the President to the news media.
Moyers was also a director for the Council on Foreign Relations. He worked as a TV news commentator for ten years. He was very involved with public broadcasting. He created many documentaries and news programs. Moyers won many awards for his investigative journalism. He was known for his strong opinions about how news media was run.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Billy Don Moyers was born on June 5, 1934. His birthplace was Hugo, Oklahoma. His father, John Henry Moyers, was a laborer. His mother was Ruby Johnson Moyers. Bill grew up in Marshall, Texas.
Moyers started his journalism career at age 16. He was a young reporter for the Marshall News Messenger. In college, he studied journalism. He went to the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas. In 1954, Lyndon B. Johnson, then a US Senator, hired him. Moyers started as a summer intern. He later managed Johnson's personal mail.
Soon after, Moyers moved to the University of Texas at Austin. He wrote for The Daily Texan newspaper there. In 1956, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism. While in Austin, Moyers worked for KTBC radio and television stations. These stations were owned by Lady Bird Johnson, Senator Johnson's wife.
From 1956 to 1957, he studied in Scotland. He attended the University of Edinburgh. In 1959, he earned a Master of Divinity degree. This was from the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. Moyers also served as a Baptist pastor in Weir, Texas.
Moyers became an ordained minister in 1954. He planned to study American Studies at the University of Texas. During Senator Johnson's try for president in 1960, Moyers was a top helper. He also helped connect Johnson with John F. Kennedy. Kennedy was the presidential candidate.
Working in Government
The Peace Corps
The Peace Corps was started by President Kennedy in 1961. Bill Moyers helped find the money to create this organization. The Peace Corps Act was signed on September 22, 1961. It is said that Moyers and Sargent Shriver called every member of Congress. They did this to get support for the Peace Corps.
Moyers later said the Peace Corps was "a way of being in the world." He also said his years there were "the best years of our lives." He shared this thought at the 50th Anniversary celebration.
Moyers first worked as an associate director for public affairs. Then he became Sargent Shriver's deputy director. In November 1963, he became a special assistant to President Lyndon B. Johnson.
Public Broadcasting System
Moyers played a key role in starting the public broadcasting system. In 1961, FCC Chairman Newton N. Minow called television "a vast wasteland." He wanted more programs for the public good. Years later, the Johnson administration studied this idea.
A group was formed to study noncommercial educational television. Bill Moyers was part of this group. Their report, 'Public Television: A Program for Action,' came out in 1967. Moyers said public broadcasting became "a central part of the American consciousness."
Moyers helped create the law for public broadcasting. In 1967, President Johnson signed the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967. This law said it was good to help public radio and TV grow. It also said these media should be used for learning and culture.
Johnson Administration
When Lyndon B. Johnson became president, Moyers became his special assistant. He worked for Johnson from 1963 to 1967. Moyers was the last person alive from the photo of Johnson's swearing-in. He helped organize Johnson's 1964 Great Society plans. He also helped with Johnson's 1964 presidential campaign.
Moyers was the President's informal chief of staff from October 1964 to July 1965. From July 1965 to February 1967, he was also the White House press secretary.
After Walter Jenkins resigned, President Johnson asked Moyers to gather information on some political opponents.
Moyers approved a famous ad called the "Daisy Ad." This ad was used against Barry Goldwater in the 1964 presidential campaign. This ad is seen as the start of very negative campaign ads today.
In The New York Times in 1966, Moyers shared his thoughts. He said, "I work for him despite his faults and he lets me work for him despite my deficiencies."
In 1966, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara gave a speech. He criticized parts of US defense policy. President Johnson was very upset by this speech. The fact that Moyers had approved it was a reason for Moyers leaving early.
In 1967, Moyers said Johnson saw the Vietnam War as his main legacy. Johnson wanted to win at all costs. Moyers felt this would divide the country. He said he never thought he would wish for Johnson's defeat.
Later, a tape from the Oval Office showed Moyers and Johnson were still in touch. Moyers even encouraged Johnson to run for president again.
Journalism Career
Newsday
Moyers worked as the publisher for Newsday from 1967 to 1970. This newspaper was not doing well. Moyers made it more progressive. He brought in famous writers and added new features. He also added more investigative reporting. The newspaper's sales went up. It won 33 major journalism awards, including two Pulitzer Prizes.
However, the owner, Harry Guggenheim, had different ideas. He did not like the newspaper's new direction. They disagreed about the 1968 presidential election. Guggenheim sold his share of the paper. Moyers resigned a few days later.
CBS News
In 1976, Moyers joined CBS News. He worked as an editor and chief reporter for CBS Reports until 1981. Then he was a senior news analyst for the CBS Evening News until 1986. He was the last regular commentator for CBS. Moyers spoke about differences in how news was presented at CBS. He then decided not to renew his contract. He had commitments with PBS.
NBC News
Moyers briefly joined NBC News in 1995. He was a senior analyst and commentator. The next year, he hosted MSNBC's Insight program. He was the last regular commentator on the NBC Nightly News.
PBS Work
Bill Moyers Journal (1972–1981)
In 1971, Moyers started working for the PBS. His first PBS show was This Week with Bill Moyers. It aired in 1971 and 1972.
Bill Moyers Journal was on PBS from 1972 to 1981. He later hosted a show with the same name from 2007 to 2010.
In 1975, Bill Moyers Journal aired Rosedale: The Way It Is. This show documented the challenges faced by the first Black family to move into a neighborhood in Queens. Years later, a student found a part of the show. It showed the reactions of young Black girls. The New York Times then found these children and others from the documentary.
Individual Programs (1982–2006)
From 1982 to 2006, Moyers produced and hosted many documentaries and interviews. These aired on PBS stations.
He interviewed and featured many people, including:
- Joseph Campbell (Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth, 1988)
- Elie Wiesel (Facing Hate, 1991)
- Pete Seeger (Pure Pete Seeger, 1994)
- Desmond Tutu (Archbishop Tutu, 1999)
- George Lucas (The Mythology of Star Wars, 1999)
Moyers also hosted a series called Creativity in 1982. He had a 42-part interview series called A World of Ideas from 1988–1990.
His broadcasts covered many topics:
- History – A Walk Through the 20th Century (1982–1984)
- Religion – Genesis: A Living Conversation (1996)
- Morality – Beyond Hate (1991)
- Politics – In Search of the Constitution (1987)
- The media – The Public Mind (1989)
- Current events like the Iran–Contra affair (The Secret Government, 1987)
- Healthcare – Healing and the Mind (1993)
- Poetry – The Power of the Word (1989)
- The environment – Earth on Edge (2001)
- Money – Minimum Wages: The New Economy (1992)
- Youth issues – All Our Children (1991)
- Immigration – Becoming American (2003)
Many of these shows were made by Moyers and his wife, Judith Suzanne Davidson Moyers. They formed a company called Public Affairs Television in 1986.
Frontline (1990–1999)
Between 1990 and 1999, Moyers produced and hosted seven episodes of Frontline. These included topics like:
- Global Dumping Ground (1990) about toxic waste
- In Our Children's Food (1993) about pesticides
- Justice for Sale (1999) about judicial elections
NOW with Bill Moyers and Wide Angle (2002–2005)
Moyers hosted NOW with Bill Moyers on PBS for three years. It started in January 2002. He left the show in December 2004. But he soon returned to PBS to host Wide Angle in 2005. When he left NOW, he said he wanted to write a book about Lyndon B. Johnson.
Bill Moyers Journal (2007–2010)
On April 25, 2007, Moyers returned to PBS with Bill Moyers Journal. In the first episode, "Buying the War," Moyers looked at how the media covered the lead-up to the Iraq War. "Buying the War" won an Emmy award in 2008.
On November 20, 2009, Moyers said he would retire from his weekly show. His last show was on April 30, 2010.
Moyers & Company (2012–2015)
In August 2011, Moyers announced a new weekly interview show. It was called Moyers & Company. It started in January 2012. Moyers also launched BillMoyers.com that month. The show was later shortened to a half hour. It was praised for bringing news and views not often seen in commercial media.
The program ended on January 2, 2015.
Moyers on Democracy Podcast
In 2020, Moyers started a podcast series. It was called Moyers on Democracy. He had conversations with many people. Topics included the Post Office and racism in American society. The series ended in early 2021.
Awards and Recognition
In 1995, Bill Moyers was added to the Television Hall of Fame. He also won the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism that year. In 2006, he received a Lifetime Emmy Award. The award announcement said Moyers "devoted his lifetime to the exploration of the major issues and ideas of our time." It also noted his broadcasts were honored many times.
He won over thirty Emmys and many other major journalism awards. These included a gold baton from the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards. He also received a lifetime Peabody Award. He won a George Polk Career Award for his investigative reporting. Moyers is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He has also received many honorary degrees.
Presidential Draft Idea
On July 24, 2006, writer Molly Ivins suggested Bill Moyers should run for president. This was meant to be a symbolic idea. Ralph Nader also supported this idea in October 2006. However, Moyers did not run for president.
Disagreement with CPB
In 2003, Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) chairman Kenneth Tomlinson raised concerns. He felt that NOW with Bill Moyers did not always show enough balance. In 2005, Tomlinson ordered a study of the show. This was done without telling the CPB board.
Tomlinson said the study supported his view. He felt the show had a certain bias. Other people disagreed. They said PBS was seen as fair by most Americans. Moyers said he invited Tomlinson to discuss this on TV, but he was ignored.
On November 3, 2005, Tomlinson resigned from the board. A report found that he had broken some rules. It said he interfered with programming. It also said he used "political tests" when hiring.
In 2006, the PBS Ombudsman wrote about the conflict. Moyers later said that fighting for fairness was hard, but possible.
Organizations and Groups
Moyers was a director of the Council on Foreign Relations from 1967 to 1974. He was also a member of the steering committee for the Bilderberg Group. From 1990, he was president of the Schumann Center for Media and Democracy.
Personal Life
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Moyers married Judith Suzanne Davidson on December 18, 1954. She was also a producer. They had three children (Suzanne Moyers, William Cope Moyers and John Moyers) and five grandchildren.
His daughter, Suzanne Moyers, is a former teacher and editor. She wrote a historical novel.
His son, John Moyers, helped start TomPaine.com. This was an online journal for progressive ideas.
Bill Moyers passed away on June 26, 2025, in a hospital in Manhattan. He had complications from prostate cancer.
Journalist Dan Froomkin called Moyers "one of the greatest of the greats." Senator Bernie Sanders said Moyers was "a friend, public servant, and outstanding journalist." He added that Moyers "had the courage to explore issues that many ignored."
Published Works
- Listening to America: A Traveler Rediscovers His Country (1971)
- The Secret Government: The Constitution in Crisis (1988), coauthor Henry Steele Commager; looks at the Iran-Contra affair
- The Power of Myth (1988), host: Bill Moyers, author: Joseph Campbell
- A World of Ideas : Conversations With Thoughtful Men and Women About American Life Today and the Ideas Shaping Our Future (1989)
- A World of Ideas II: Public Opinions from Private Citizens (1990)
- Healing and the Mind (1993)
- The Language of Life: A Festival of Poets (1995); conversations with 34 poets
- Genesis: A Living Conversation (1996)
- Sister Wendy in Conversation with Bill Moyers: The Complete Conversation (1997)
- Fooling with Words: A Celebration of Poets and Their Craft (1999)
- Moyers on America: A Journalist and His Times (2004); twenty selected speeches and commentaries
- Moyers on Democracy (2008)
- Bill Moyers Journal: The Conversation Continues (2011)
See also
In Spanish: Bill Moyers para niños
- Path to War
