By 1961 he had made it to news director for KHOU-TV, the CBS affiliate in Houston. His coverage of Hurricane Carla brought him to the attention of network executives, and he was promoted to the position of CBS network correspondent. It was in this position that Rather became the first journalist to report the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. His demeanor and reporting style throughout the tragedy again garnered attention from network executives, who promoted Rather to the White House beat in 1964.

After serving as a foreign correspondent for CBS News, Rather drew the assignment as primary anchor for the CBS Weekend News, while also serving as White House correspondent during the Richard Nixon presidency. Rather became one of the most recognizable figures in the national news media during this time, with his coverage of the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, and the Watergate scandal.

An assignment in 1975 as correspondent for the Sunday evening news show, 60 Minutes, put Rather in the spotlight again. He soon relinquished the prestigious position, however, when he was named to be the successor to anchor Walter Cronkite, who was then the main anchor of the CBS Evening News. Rather assumed the position upon Cronkite's retirement in March 1981. In 1988 he also began hosting the CBS news show, 48 Hours.

Rather earned the title of "the hardest working man in broadcast journalism," after holding down the top job at three national news programs simultaneously: CBS Evening News, 48 Hours and 60 Minutes II. In addition to his three anchoring positions, he writes a nationally syndicated newspaper column and hosts the radio program Dan Rather Reporting, which is heard on more than 300 radio stations nationwide.

In 2005, Rather stepped down after 24 years as anchor of the CBS Evening News—24 years to the day after he took over for Cronkite. But by the end of 2006, Rather was back on television again, this time reporting on his own show, Dan Rather Reports, for the HDNet cable network. He also formed an independent company called News and Guts Media, and is currently working on a book.

Rather has received numerous Emmy Awards for his broadcast journalism work, as well as the coveted Peabody Award. He and his wife Jean Goebel, whom he met when she was hired as a secretary at KTRH, currently reside in New York City.

Books

1975 The Palace Guard
1987 The Camera Never Blinks
1991 I Remember
1995 The Camera Never Blinks Twice: The Further Adventures of a Television Journalist
1995 Our Times
2000 Deadlines and Datelines: Essays for a New Century
2001 The American Dream: Stories from the Heart of Our Nation
2003 President Kennedy Has Been Shot: The Inside Story of the Murder of the President
2003 America at War
2005 World War II On The Air: Edward R. Murrow And The Broadcasts That Riveted A Nation