Ralph Harris (journalist) facts for kids

Ralph Harris (born January 31, 1921, died December 24, 2008) was a British journalist. He worked for Reuters, a big news agency. He was their main reporter at the White House. He covered news for many U.S. presidents. These included presidents from Truman to Reagan.

Ralph Harris's Early Life

Ralph Harris was born in Manchester, England, in 1921. He started his career working for a small news agency. It was called Birkenhead News. This agency was mainly in Liverpool. Later, he joined the Royal Air Force to serve his country. After his time in the military, he moved to the United States. There, he began working for Reuters. At that time, Reuters was a small news agency. It only had five staff members.

Reporting for Reuters

Ralph Harris was a very busy reporter for Reuters. He covered many important news conferences. These happened during the time of several U.S. presidents. He reported on presidents like Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, and Reagan.

Harris was the main reporter for Reuters during some very big events. This included the sad day of the assassination of John F. Kennedy. He also reported on the killing of Lee Harvey Oswald. Harris shared news about how people in the South felt about Jack Ruby. Ruby was the person who killed Oswald.

Ralph Harris also covered other important stories. He reported on whether the Concorde airplane could land in the U.S. He also covered the 1968 Thule Air Base B-52 crash. In 1979, Harris made history. He became the first foreign president of the White House Correspondents’ Association. This group is for reporters who cover the White House.

Ralph Harris stopped working in 1986. He had worked for Reuters for 37 years. People spoke highly of his work. Larry Speakes, a White House spokesperson, called him "a reporter's reporter." He said Harris was known for being "accurate and fast." President Ronald Reagan also praised him. Reagan said Harris was "a true institution" among reporters in Washington. Ralph Harris passed away on December 24, 2008. He died because of a breathing problem.

Ralph's Personal Life

Ralph Harris married his wife, Ena, in 1944. They had two children together. They also had four grandchildren. In 1995, Ralph Harris became a citizen of the United States. He had lived in the U.S. for 36 years before that. He was also a member of the National Press Club. This is a group for journalists.