Knowlton Nash facts for kids

Cyril Knowlton Nash (November 18, 1927 – May 24, 2014) was a famous Canadian journalist, author, and news anchor. He was the main anchor for CBC Television's top news show, The National, from 1978 until he retired in 1988.

Knowlton Nash started his career selling newspapers in Toronto during World War II. Before he was 20, he was already a professional journalist. He later became a foreign correspondent for the CBC in Washington, D.C. There, he covered important events during the presidencies of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. He also reported from South and Central America, and Vietnam. In 1968, he moved back to Toronto to manage CBC's news programs. In 1978, he returned to the screen as the anchor of The National. He stepped down in 1988, and Peter Mansbridge took his place. Nash wrote many books about Canadian journalism and television, including his own stories as a foreign correspondent.

Early Life and Journalism Dreams

Knowlton Nash was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on November 18, 1927. His father was a racetrack betting manager. Knowlton didn't like being called "Cyril Junior" and asked his parents to call him "Knowlton" when he was five.

From a young age, Nash loved journalism. By age 8, he was writing his own newspaper. He even sold ads to local shops for candy! At 9, he wrote letters to newspaper editors. By 10, he ran a newsstand. In 1940, at 12, Nash sold the Toronto Star and Toronto Telegram on Toronto streets. Watching Joel McCrea play a reporter in the movie Foreign Correspondent made him want to be a journalist even more.

Starting in Print Journalism

As a teenager, Nash reported on high school sports for The Globe and Mail. In 1944, he left high school to become editor of Canadian High News. This was a small weekly paper for high schools in southern Ontario.

Later, he edited crime magazines and worked for a local Toronto newspaper. Nash and some friends tried to buy two neighborhood newspapers. But they didn't get enough advertising money, so the papers quickly closed. Nash also tried writing for popular magazines like True Confessions.

Working as a Wire Service Reporter

Nash briefly went to the University of Toronto. But in 1947, at 19, he got a job as night editor for British United Press (BUP) in Toronto. This news service was connected to United Press. His job mostly involved rewriting news stories from Toronto newspapers and sending them out by teletype.

After a few months, Nash started writing his own articles. He also covered the Ontario government and sports events. The next year, he became the BUP manager in Halifax. He was in charge of news in The Maritimes and Newfoundland. In 1949, he moved to Vancouver as manager. There, he reported on protests and interviewed stars like Bing Crosby.

In 1951, at 23, Nash returned to BUP's Toronto office as manager. He covered the death of William "Red" Hill Jr., who tried to go over Niagara Falls. He also reported on the 1951 royal visit of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip.

Becoming a World Traveler and Freelance Journalist

In 1951, Nash joined the International Federation of Agricultural Producers (IFAP) in Washington, D.C. He gathered information and edited their newsletter. His office was near the White House. He often saw President Harry S Truman walking by. His research helped him meet many important officials.

His work with IFAP took him around the world. He traveled to Europe, Mexico, Central America, and Africa. He met many famous people, including Pope Pius XII and Dwight D. Eisenhower.

In 1954, during a trip to Kenya, Nash became a freelance foreign correspondent. He sent radio reports about the Mau Mau Uprising to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and the British Broadcasting Corporation. He continued to send stories to the CBC and other papers while traveling. He also wrote for magazines like Maclean's.

Reporting on Major Events

In 1958, Nash left IFAP to become a full-time freelance journalist. He loved politics and now had the chance to meet many American politicians. These included Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy. His first big political event was the 1960 Democratic National Convention. He saw how John F. Kennedy was chosen as a candidate.

Nash's first TV news job was covering a funeral for the CBC in 1959. At first, he wasn't very interested in TV reports. But he soon realized that television was the future of news. From then on, he worked hard to learn about TV reporting.

Nash covered many important events across the United States and worldwide. Some of these included:

• Race riots in Oxford, Mississippi, when federal soldiers helped James Meredith become the first Black student at the University of Mississippi.
• The launch of the Friendship 7 rocket from Cape Canaveral. This made John Glenn the first American to orbit Earth.
• The Cuban Missile Crisis. Nash waited at the White House during the scariest part of the crisis.
• A trip to Cuba to see the effects of Fidel Castro's rule. He even interviewed Che Guevara.
• The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963, where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his "I Have a Dream" speech.
• The events in Washington after the assassination of John F. Kennedy.
• The trial of Jack Ruby in 1964.
• The 1964 Republican National Convention and the 1964 Democratic National Convention.
• The Selma to Montgomery marches in 1965.
• Many riots in the summer of 1967, including in Newark and Detroit.
• Robert F. Kennedy's last interview before he was assassinated in 1968.
• The violent 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Nash was caught in street riots and got a minor head injury.

Nash also returned to Canada to cover political events for the CBC. This included federal elections in 1962, 1963, and 1965.

Freelance reporters didn't get paid well by the CBC. In 1965, Nash helped create the CBC Foreign Correspondents Association. He became its first vice-president to help get better pay for members.

He also traveled to Central and South America many times. He made two trips to Southeast Asia to report on the Vietnam War from a Canadian point of view. He interviewed many important people, including Ronald Reagan.

Leading CBC News

In 1969, Nash stopped reporting to join CBC's management in Toronto. He became the Director of News and Current Affairs. He quickly updated The National from black and white to color. He also set up a special phone line so the Toronto office could quickly get news from across Canada. Before this, CBC had to fly film and videotapes of news stories to Toronto. Nash also hired new producers and managers.

During the October Crisis in 1970, a government official asked CBC to avoid "speculative discussions" about the situation. Nash sent a message to CBC staff about this. But two hours later, he realized this was government interference. He changed his message to ask for "responsible journalistic professionalism" instead. Nash later said he was wrong to agree to the self-censorship, even for a short time.

Nash believed TV could teach Canadians about their history. He helped create several "docudramas" (documentary-dramas). These included The National Dream in 1974, about building the transcontinental railway. Other series covered Canadian political history. Most of these shows were praised and had good ratings.

Not everything was a success. In 1976, Nash launched a late-night talk show called Ninety Minutes Live. The host, Peter Gzowski, was great on radio but awkward on TV. The show's ratings dropped, and it was canceled after two seasons.

Becoming Chief Correspondent

In 1978, Peter Kent left his job as anchor of The National. Trina McQueen, the show's executive producer, asked Nash to become the new anchor. Nash agreed to try out and was chosen. Because of his strong journalism background, he was given the title "Chief Correspondent" instead of just "News Anchor." On his first night, November 20, 1978, his main story was the Jonestown Massacre.

As anchor, Nash covered many big events. These included Canadian federal elections and the Quebec referendum on sovereignty. He also reported on the 1980 election of Ronald Reagan as U.S. president. He covered the 1981 wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer. He was also on air when The National moved to an earlier time slot in 1982. It was also combined with a new current affairs show called The Journal.

Writing Books

In 1984, Nash wrote the first part of his memoirs, History on the Run. It was about his time as a foreign correspondent. Critics said it was "fascinating reading" and praised his clear writing style. Nash wrote eight more books about his career, journalism, and Canadian broadcasting.

One of his books, Microphone Wars: A History of Triumph and Betrayal at the CBC, looked at the history of public broadcasting in Canada. It showed the struggles within the CBC and how politicians sometimes interfered. A veteran CBC insider, Harry J. Boyle, said the book "vigorously endorses public broadcasting."

Critics continued to praise Nash's books for their deep research and his personal knowledge of events.

Retirement from News

In 1988, Nash offered to retire from The National. This was to keep Peter Mansbridge from leaving CBC for an American TV network. When Mansbridge agreed to stay, Nash stepped down as chief correspondent. However, he continued to anchor The National on Saturday evenings. He also filled in as weekday anchor when Mansbridge was away. Nash fully retired from CBC News after anchoring The National on November 28, 1992.

After retiring from news reading and reporting, Nash hosted other programs on CBC Newsworld for several years. From 1990 to 2004, he also hosted the CBC's educational series News in Review.

Personal Life and Legacy

Knowlton Nash was married four times. His last marriage, to CBC personality Lorraine Thomson, lasted for 32 years. Nash felt his busy life as a journalist and his dedication to work caused his earlier marriages to end.

Nash was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2002. But he remained positive. He joked that it gave him an excuse for a few extra strokes in his golf game. He passed away on May 24, 2014, in Toronto, surrounded by his family. Soon after, Peter Mansbridge announced Nash's death on The National.

Honours and Awards

Knowlton Nash received many awards and honours for his contributions to journalism and broadcasting:

• Officer of the Order of Canada (1989)
• Member of the Order of Ontario (1998)
• Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal (2002)
• Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012)
• President's Award of the Radio-Television News Directors Association (1990)
• John Drainie Award "for distinguished contributions to broadcasting" (1995)
• Inducted into the Canadian News Hall of Fame (1996)
• Honorary degrees from several universities, including the University of Toronto (1993) and York University (2005).
• Max Bell Professor at the University of Regina School of Journalism in 1992
• Lifetime achievement award from the Canadian Journalism Foundation (2006)
• He was even mentioned in Stan Rogers' 1981 song Working Joe!