Mike Wallace Retires, page 1

When Mike Wallace began his stint on "60 Minutes," I was a nineteen-year-old in Vietnam. I never really watched the show that much, mainly because most of my life I have not owned a television, but when I did and before cable news came along, I watched it pretty regularly. Wallace's son, Chris, anchors Fox News Sunday. Mike Wallace is 88.

After serving as a correspondent on "60 Minutes" since its inception in September 1968, Mr. Wallace said today that he had decided to retire this spring, at the end of the current television season. He said that the move had come at his initiative, and that "CBS is not pushing me."

"As I approach my 88th birthday, it's become apparent to me that my eyes and ears, among other appurtenances, aren't quite what they used to be," said Mr. Wallace, whose birthday is May 9. "The prospect of long flights to wherever in search of whatever are not quite as appealing."

CBS had announced nearly three years ago that Mr. Wallace was cutting his workload for the program in a half. But he had found it difficult to remain idle, and had nearly 20 segments — a full year's work — on "60 Minutes" last season. In that same interview last spring, he had said, "I wouldn't know what else to do."

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[edit on 2006/3/14 by GradyPhilpott]