Jim Lehrer Remembered By Fellow Journalists Dan Rather, Katie Couric and More

Always in their hearts. The world learned some sad news, as longtime anchor and PBS NewsHour co-founder Jim Lehrer passed away on Thursday, January 23, in his sleep.

“With heavy hearts we report the death of PBS NewsHour co-founder Jim Lehrer at age 85,” PBS NewsHour revealed on Twitter. “A giant in journalism, his tenacity and dedication to simply delivering the news remain the core of our work.” However, that wasn’t the only reaction, as plenty of notable figures quickly shared their thoughts on the sad passing, including fellow anchor Katie Couric.

“Jim Lehrer was a legendary journalist and anchor. May he rest in peace,” the 63-year-old tweeted. Iconic news anchor Dan Rather also had some incredible words to share.

“In the trenches of electronic journalism over the decades, I met a lot of people. Few approached their work with more equanimity and integrity than Jim Lehrer. He was a gentlemen, and a helluva journalist. He will be missed,” Dan, 88, wrote via the social media platform. Many more famous faces had nothing but praise for the man who found himself interviewing everyone from Margaret Thatcher to South Korean President Kim Daejung in his career.

“Jim Lehrer was a steady voice for truth, a prolific writer, and the soul of @NewsHour. We’ll miss him,” Hillary Clinton tweeted. “Bill [Clinton] and I send our condolences to his family.” The former president also gushed about the late newsman.

“I liked and admired Jim Lehrer. He believed news is a public good, not a commodity,” Bill wrote. “And he was always completely on the level in reporting, interviewing, and moderating debates. His life was a gift that strengthened our democracy.”

Former Vice President Al Gore added, “I’m deeply saddened about the passing of Jim Lehrer, an icon of American journalism. I knew Jim as a consummate professional, reporter, and debate moderator. His reliable voice and thorough coverage will be greatly missed.”

Jim will be remembered for many accomplishments, including moderating 12 presidential debates — the most that any individual has done in U.S. history. He also had plenty of accolades to his name — he was awarded the National Humanities Medal, and he has a spot in the Television Hall of Fame.

We won’t ever forget Jim!