Television Journalist. He was best known to television viewers both as the prominent White House correspondent for NBC during the Kennedy Administration and also a tough questioner during several political debates through the years. Born Alexander Vanocur, he earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the Northwestern University School of Speech in 1950. He later attended the London School of Economics and served in the United States Army for two years. He began his journalism career as a reporter, working for both the Manchester Guardian and the New York Times. In 1957, he joined the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) and remained there until 1971. He also was one of the four journalists on the questioning panel during the first televised presidential debate between John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon in 1960. He later was the main White House correspondent for NBC during the Kennedy Administration (1961-1963). During his tenure with the network, he was a part of the "Four Horsemen" of correspondents, along with Frank McGee, Edwin Newman, and John Chancellor, who provided floor coverage at both political parties' conventions during the 1960s. He left NBC in 1971 and later worked for both PBS and The Washington Post. In 1977, he joined the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) and worked there until 1991. During his tenure at ABC, he held various positions and hosted a weekly business program. He also moderated the 1984 Vice-Presidential debate between Vice-President George H.W. Bush and Democrat Geraldine Ferraro. In 1992, he was a part of a questioning panel during one of the presidential debates. He remained a regular commentator on journalism after his network journalism days were over.