GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

1997 SESSION

RATIFIED BILL

RESOLUTION 31

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 1087

A JOINT RESOLUTION HONORING THE LIFE AND MEMORY OF CHARLES KURALT.

Whereas, Charles Bishop Kuralt was born in Wilmington, North Carolina, on September 10, 1934, to Wallace Hamilton Kuralt and Ina Bishop Kuralt; and

Whereas, Charles Kuralt spent his childhood years in the City of Charlotte where his mother was a schoolteacher and his father, a social worker, served for 28 years as director of Mecklenburg County's public welfare; and

Whereas, Charles Kuralt excelled as a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, serving as editor of The Daily Tar Heel and graduating with a bachelors degree in 1955; and

Whereas, following graduation from college, Charles Kuralt worked for the Charlotte News and in 1956, received the Ernie Pyle Memorial Award for his well-crafted and stylish writing; and

Whereas, in 1957, Charles Kuralt joined Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) as a writer and in 1959, at the age of 24, became the youngest person to be named a news correspondent at CBS; and

Whereas, for the next several years, Charles Kuralt completed various assignments for CBS, including covering the Vietnam War and other news stories from various locations throughout the world, and serving as the first host of the CBS prime time series, "Eyewitness", as the CBS Latin American Correspondent, and as the Chief West Coast Correspondent; and

Whereas, after many years of masterful news reporting, Charles Kuralt began his acclaimed "On the Road" series, as part of "The CBS Evening News" in 1967; and

Whereas, for the next 12 years, Charles Kuralt traveled the highways and byways of the United States searching for stories that represented the ordinary American; and

Whereas, on January 28, 1979, Charles Kuralt began his "Sunday Morning" series, and for the next 15 years, warmed the hearts of millions of viewers across the nation each Sunday morning with 90 minutes of wonderful stories and scenes from all over the United States; and

Whereas, after a 37-year career at CBS, Charles Kuralt retired on April 3, 1994; and

Whereas, Charles Kuralt was the author of six books; and

Whereas, Charles Kuralt received numerous awards and recognitions, including 12 Emmy Awards and three Peabody Awards and was inducted into the North Carolina Journalism Hall of Fame in 1981; and

Whereas, despite his fame, Charles Kuralt never forgot his beloved home state nor his alma mater, which he often assisted with fund-raising projects; and

Whereas, in 1995, Charles Kuralt served as the speaker for the dedication of the Tate-Turner-Kuralt Building, which is named for him and houses the School of Social Work, on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and

Whereas, Charles Kuralt died on July 4, 1997; and

Whereas, Charles Kuralt is survived by his wife, Suzanna "Petie" Kuralt; his daughters, Lisa White and Susan Bowers; a brother, Wallace Kuralt, Jr., a sister, Catherine Harris; and two grandchildren; and

Whereas, Charles Kuralt possessed a peculiar insight that enabled him to contribute substantially and effectively to the improvement and betterment of the world around him, enriching the lives of those with whom he was associated and came in contact; and

Whereas, in the passing of Charles Kuralt, North Carolina has lost one of its most beloved, admired, and respected native sons;

Now, therefore, be it resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring:

Section 1.  The General Assembly honors the life and memory of Charles Bishop Kuralt and expresses its gratitude and appreciation of this State and its citizens for his life and service.

Section 2.  The General Assembly expresses its deep sorrow to the family and friends of Charles Bishop Kuralt for the loss of a beloved husband, father, and a true friend.

Section 3.  The Secretary of State shall transmit a certified copy of this resolution to the family of Charles Kuralt.

Section 4.  This resolution is effective upon ratification.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 26th day of August, 1997.

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                                                               Marc Basnight

     President Pro Tempore of the Senate

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                                                               Harold J. Brubaker

     Speaker of the House of Representatives