Mike Wallace, of CBS's "60 Minutes" died at the age of 93 the network said on Sunday.
The longtime newsman has many ties to Michigan and came from Brookline, Mass. to attend the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. During his time at U of M, Wallace was a member of the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity. He also reported for the student-run newspaper The Michigan Daily and did radio work as well, graduating in 1939.
IMAGES: Mike Wallace's home in Ann Arbor
After graduation, he worked in local radio here in Michigan. His first job after college was as a newscaster and writer for WOOD radio in Grand Rapids and later he worked for a station in the Detroit market before moving to Chicago and then to New York. Wallace also continued to befriend the university, lending support to the Knight-Wallace Fellowship program that gives mid-career journalists opportunities to explore subjects of interest to them. He also donated the Wallace House to the program as a homelike gathering place for participants.
Wallace died on Saturday evening with his family by his side at Waveny Care Center in Connecticut where he spent the past few years.
"His extraordinary contribution as a broadcaster is immeasurable and he has been a force within the television industry throughout its existence. His loss will be felt by all of us at CBS," Leslie Moonves, president and CEO of CBS Corporation, said in the statement.
Former CBS Evening News anchor Dan Rather, who contributed to "60 Minutes," said in a statement, "Wallace was from the beginning and for many years, the heart and soul of '60 Minutes.' In that role, he helped change American television news. Among the ways that this change was for the better: TV news became more investigative, more aggressive and relevant. Mike was sharp and quick of mind, a fierce competitor and a master interviewer."
A special "60 Minutes" program dedicated to Wallace will be aired April 15.