Andy Rooney, writer for ’60 Minutes,’ died November 4 at 92 from complications after a minor surgery.
Why call Rooney a writer – because that’s what Andy would have wanted. He was a writer from the start, making his way in the field after an English teacher told him he was good at it.
When he was drafted in 1941 he wrote for the Army newspaper the Stars and Stripes. After the war Rooney found a home at CBS and stayed there until a month ago when he delivered his 1,097th and final address on 60 Minutes.
Rooney didn’t start out as a TV personality, if you watch his address below he straight out tells you he hated it, and was often rude to his fans to get peace.
His goal wasn’t to be liked; he wanted to write the truth. He said, “I believe that if all the truths were known about everything in the world it would be a better place to live.”
He began as a writer for men like Arthur Godfrey, Garry Moore and Harry Reasoner. His first appearance on TV wasn’t until the 1970’s. But it wasn’t until a few years later, after multiple botched attempts to get others to do what Andy did best, did he become the last voice of the night on 60 Minutes. And even when he started on television he tackled the job as writer, “a writer who reads what he has written.”
The plan was to be a writer until the very end. Steve Kroft said, "Andy always said he wanted to work until the day he died, and he managed to do it, save the last few weeks in the hospital."