Harold Robinson "Hal" Bruno, Jr. (October 25, 1928 – November 8, 2011) was an American
journalist
A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism ...
and
political analyst
Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...
, who worked as the political director of
ABC News
ABC News is the news division of the American broadcast network ABC. Its flagship program is the daily evening newscast ''ABC World News Tonight, ABC World News Tonight with David Muir''; other programs include Breakfast television, morning ...
from 1980 to 1999. He served as the moderator of the
1992 vice presidential debate between
Dan Quayle,
Al Gore
Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948) is an American politician, businessman, and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. Gore was the Democratic Part ...
, and
James Stockdale
James Bond "Jim" Stockdale (December 23, 1923 – July 5, 2005) was a United States Navy vice admiral and aviator, awarded the Medal of Honor in the Vietnam War, during which he was a prisoner of war for over seven years.
Stockdale was the mos ...
.
Biography
Early life
Hal Bruno was born in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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, Illinois, on October 25, 1928.
[ His father sold ]housewares
Household goods are goods and products used within households. They are the tangible and movable personal property placed in the rooms of a house, such as a bed or refrigerator.
Economic role
Businesses that produce household goods are categorize ...
for a living.[ He became a volunteer firefighter during the 1940s.][ Bruno earned his ]bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...
in 1950 from the University of Illinois
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the University ...
, where he worked as a sportswriter for the university's newspaper, ''The Daily Illini
''The Daily Illini'', commonly known as the ''DI'', is a student-run newspaper that has been published for the community of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign since 1871. Weekday circulation during fall and spring semesters is 7,000; co ...
'', alongside Shel Silverstein, Bud Karmin
Monroe William ("Bud") Karmin (September 2, 1929 – January 15, 1999) was an American journalist. He won a Pulitzer Prize in 1967 when working as an investigative reporter for the ''Wall Street Journal''. He also worked at different times for ' ...
, Gene Shalit, Hugh Hough
Hugh Frederick Hough (April 15, 1924 – April 18, 1986) was an American author. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting with Art Petacque for uncovering new evidence that led to the reopening of efforts to solve the 1966 murd ...
and Robert Novak.[ He also worked for the '']Champaign News Gazette
Champaign ( ) is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, United States. The population was 88,302 at the 2020 census. It is the tenth-most populous municipality in Illinois and the fourth most populous city in Illinois outside the Chicago metropo ...
'' during weekends while in college.[
He served in the ]Korean War
, date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
as an Army intelligence officer.[ Bruno then earned a ]Fulbright scholarship
The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people of ...
to study in India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
after the war.[ He married his wife, Margaret "Meg" Christian Bruno, on November 12, 1959.][
]
Career
Bruno launched his professional career as a reporter
A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism ...
for Chicago area newspaper
A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background.
Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, sports a ...
s and news agencies. His first job after his graduation was for ''Advertising Age
''Ad Age'' (known as ''Advertising Age'' until 2017) is a global media brand that publishes news, analysis, and data on marketing and media. Its namesake magazine was started as a broadsheet newspaper in Chicago in 1930. ''Ad Age'' appears in mul ...
'' before becoming the sports editor of the '' Daily Chronicle''.[ He temporarily left his profession in order to serve in the Korean War.][ Bruno returned to Chicago after the war and joined the staff of the '']Chicago City News Bureau
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
'' as a police reporter.[ He joined '' The Chicago American'' in 1954][ In 1956, Bruno earned a ]Fulbright Scholarship
The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people of ...
in India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
to study Indian media
The Indian media consists of several different types of communications of mass media: television, radio, Cinema of India, cinema, Newspaper, newspapers, magazines, and Internet-based Websites/portals. Indian media was active since the late 18th ...
.[ He worked as a South Asian correspondent for the International News Service while in India.][ Bruno covered some of the biggest news stories of the 1950s, including the 1956 ]Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, or the Second Arab–Israeli war, also called the Tripartite Aggression ( ar, العدوان الثلاثي, Al-ʿUdwān aṯ-Ṯulāṯiyy) in the Arab world and the Sinai War in Israel,Also known as the Suez War or 1956 Wa ...
, the Our Lady of the Angels School fire
On Monday, December 1, 1958, a fire broke out at Our Lady of the Angels School in Chicago, Illinois, shortly before classes were to be dismissed for the day. The fire originated in the basement near the foot of a stairway. The elementary sch ...
in 1958, and the Cuban revolution in 1959.[
He joined the staff of '']Newsweek
''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis (businessman), Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print m ...
'' magazine in 1960.[ Bruno worked as a reporter, ]foreign correspondent
A correspondent or on-the-scene reporter is usually a journalist or commentator for a magazine, or an agent who contributes reports to a newspaper, or radio or television news, or another type of company, from a remote, often distant, locati ...
, news editor
Copy editing (also known as copyediting and manuscript editing) is the process of revising written material (copy) to improve readability and fitness, as well as ensuring that text is free of grammatical and factual errors. ''The Chicago Manual of ...
and chief political correspondent for ''Newsweek'' for 18 years.[ One of his first assignments at the magazine was the 1960 president election between ]John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination i ...
and Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...
.[ His foreign reports included the 1962 Sino-Indian War.][ He rose to become ''Newsweek's'' Chicago ]bureau chief
A news bureau is an office for gathering or distributing news. Similar terms are used for specialized bureaus, often to indicate a geographic location or scope of coverage: a ‘Tokyo bureau’ refers to a given news operation's office in Tokyo; ' ...
and later the magazine's political editor in Washington D.C.[
]
ABC News
Bruno joined ABC News in 1978 after leaving ''Newsweek''.[ He oversaw ABC News' election and political coverage during the 1980s and 1990s.][ Ken Rudin, the current political editor of NPR who worked as Bruno's deputy at ABC News, described Bruno as "...the eyes and ears for Peter (Jennings) and 'World News Tonight' and (Ted) Koppel."][ As political director, Bruno packaged much of the political headlines presented by ABC's best known reporters, including Ted Koppel, ]Cokie Roberts
Mary Martha Corinne Morrison Claiborne "Cokie" Roberts (née Boggs; December 27, 1943 – September 17, 2019) was an American journalist and author. Her career included decades as a political reporter and analyst for National Public Radio, PBS, ...
, Sam Donaldson
Samuel Andrew Donaldson Jr. (born March 11, 1934) is an American former reporter and news anchor, serving with ABC News from 1967 to 2009. He is best known as the network's White House Correspondent (1977–1989 and 1998–99) and as a panelist ...
, and Peter Jennings.[ Colleagues, such as Donaldson, have described Bruno as personally knowing nearly every major party county chairman in the United States.][
While much of his work at ABC took place off-screen, Bruno was invited onto news and talk shows owing to his political expertise.][ Bruno also hosted the weekly ]radio show
A radio program, radio programme, or radio show is a segment of content intended for broadcast on radio. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series. A single program in a series is called an episode.
Radio networ ...
, ''Hal Bruno's Washington'', on ABC Radio until 1999.[
Bruno received public attention as the moderator of the 1992 vice presidential debate in ]Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
on October 13, 1992.[ The debate took place between incumbent Republican Vice President Dan Quayle, ]Democrat
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
Al Gore, and Independent
Independent or Independents may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups
* Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s
* Independ ...
retired Vice Admiral James B. Stockdale, who was the running mate
A running mate is a person running together with another person on a joint Ticket (election), ticket during an election. The term is most often used in reference to the person in the subordinate position (such as the vice presidential candidate ...
of Ross Perot
Henry Ross Perot (; June 27, 1930 – July 9, 2019) was an American business magnate, billionaire, politician and philanthropist. He was the founder and chief executive officer of Electronic Data Systems and Perot Systems. He ran an inde ...
.[ The debate would become known for unusual responses and negative rhetoric from the candidates and the audience.][ It would later be called "the most combative debate in the 32-year history of the televised forums" by the '']Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
''.[ One of the most memorable moments from the debate came early in the night. Bruno, in his capacity as debate moderator, asked James Stockdale, "Admiral Stockdale, your opening statement, please, sir?"][ Stockdale famously replied to Bruno's request: "Who am I? Why am I here?"][
Bruno also scolded the debate's audience when they jeered candidates Quayle and Gore, saying, "There’s no call for that ... so knock that off."][
He retired from ABC in 1999 to become the chairman of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.]
Firefighting
Bruno said that his interest in firefighting
Firefighting is the act of extinguishing or preventing the spread of unwanted fires from threatening human lives and destroying property and the environment. A person who engages in firefighting is known as a firefighter.
Firefighters typically ...
began "after riding as a kid on fire trucks in Chicago."[ Bruno originally became a volunteer firefighter during the 1940s and remained in firefighting for more than 60 years.][ He served as the ]chairman
The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the grou ...
of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation from 1999 to 2008[ and remained Chairman Emeritus after retiring from the post.][ He combined his background in ]journalism
Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the "news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree. The word, a noun, applies to the occupation (profes ...
and firefighting as a monthly columnist
A columnist is a person who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Column (newspaper), Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs. They take the fo ...
for Firehouse Magazine
__NOTOC__
A fire station (also called a fire house, fire hall, firemen's hall, or engine house) is a structure or other area for storing firefighting apparatuses such as fire apparatus, fire engines and related vehicles, personal protective eq ...
.[ In 2008, he authored a column for Firehouse about th]
https://www.firehouse.com/prevention-investigation/fire-protection-systems/news/10493645/eyewitness-to-tragedy-our-lady-of-angels-school-fire
that he responded to with the Chicago Fire Department and later put on his reporter's hat to cover.
Bruno called in coverage of the attack on the Pentagon on September 11, 2001.[ He was one of the first rescue workers to respond to the Pentagon attack and remained on site for hours.][
]
Later life
Bruno was inducted into the Society of Professional Journalists
The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), formerly known as Sigma Delta Chi, is the oldest organization representing journalists in the United States. It was established on April 17, 1909, at DePauw University,2009 SPJ Annual Report, letter ...
Hall of Fame in 2008.[
Bruno died at Suburban Hospital in ]Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda () is an unincorporated, census-designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland. It is located just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House (1820, rebuilt 1849), which in ...
, November 8, 2011, of heart arrhythmia caused by a fall at the age of 83.[ He was survived by his wife of nearly 56 years, Margaret; two sons, Harold R. Bruno III and Daniel Bruno; his sister, Barbara; and four grandchildren. Bruno and his wife were residents of ]Chevy Chase, Maryland
Chevy Chase () is the name of both a town and an unincorporated census-designated place (Chevy Chase (CDP), Maryland) that straddle the northwest border of Washington, D.C. and Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. Several settlements in th ...
.[
]
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bruno, Hal
1928 births
2011 deaths
American broadcast news analysts
ABC News personalities
American newspaper reporters and correspondents
American magazine journalists
American firefighters
United States Army personnel of the Korean War
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign alumni
People from Chevy Chase, Maryland
Fulbright alumni