Bill Melton

Paul Harvey

Born : Sep 03, 1918

Pheonix, AZ

American radio broadcaster, who was presented the "Presidential Medal of Freedom" by George W. Bush, Paul Harvey, passed away on this day 16 years ago. He was well-known as one of the most widely followed TV news and radio commentators. Moreover, he showed his interest in radio in his childhood, and when he was in high school, he was a champion orator. Born to Anna Dagmar Christensen and Harry Harrison Aurandt on September 4, 1918, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. His father passed away when he was a child, and his mother raised him and his sister on her own. When Harvey was fourteen years old, his English teacher insisted he pursue a career in broadcasting because of his exceptional skills. Following that advice, Paul started working in the broadcasting field, serving as a station manager of KFBI-Abilene radio's remote studio in Salina, Kansas, and as a newscaster at KOMA radio in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He also served as the special events and news director at KXOK radio in St. Louis, Missouri. As a news analyst, columnist, and author, Paul Harvey won recognition as "one of the best-known and most influential personalities in the history of American radio" and the last of the wartime generation of radio commentators. "The Rest of the Story" and "Paul Harvey News and Comment" aired daily on 1,750 radio stations globally and got more than twenty-four million listeners weekly. In 1940, he married Lynne Cooper, and the couple had one son, Paul Aurandt II. Harley has earned many awards from "the Veterans of Foreign Wars," "the Disabled American Veterans," "the Freedom Foundation," and "the American Legion." He was inducted into the "Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 1955, and in 1962, Harvey was named the "Commentator of the Year" by Radio/TV Daily. Moreover, in 1979, Harvey was also inducted into the "National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame." Paul also received five National Association of Broadcasters Marconi Awards for Network/Syndicated Personality of the Year (1989, 1991, 1996, 1998, and 2002). He also authored books, including "Paul Harvey," "Autumn of Liberty," "You Said It," "Remember These Things," "Our Sacred Honor," "Our Fortunes," and "Our Lives." Paul also signed a ten-year $100 million contract with the network in 2000, and in 2002, he celebrated his fiftieth year on ABC news radio. He leaves behind a legacy of determination, passion, and kindness.