Daniel Irvin Rather, Jr. (born October 31, 1931) is a former news anchor for the CBS Evening News and is now managing editor and anchor of a television news magazine, Dan Rather Reports, on the cable channel HDNet. Rather was anchor of the CBS Evening News for 24 years, from March 9, 1981 to March 9, 2005. He also contributed to CBS' 60 Minutes. Rather left CBS Evening News in 2005 and the network itself in 2006. On September 19, 2007, Rather filed a $70 million lawsuit against the network, its former parent company Viacom Inc., and three of his former bosses. Rather said he was denied airtime on 60 Minutes, among other complaints outlined in the lawsuit, CBS Radio reported.

mself - Anchor: [Dan Rather's farewell newscast on March 9, 2005, his 24th anniversary] We've shared a lot in the 24 years we've been meeting here each evening, and before I say 'Good night' this night, I need to say thank you. Thank you to the thousands of wonderful professionals at CBS News, past and present, with whom it's been my honor to work over these years. And a deeply felt thanks to all of you, who have let us into your homes night after night; it has been a privilege, and one never taken lightly. Not long after I first came to the anchor chair, I briefly signed off using the word, 'Courage.' I want to return to it now, in a different way: to a nation still nursing a broken heart for what happened here in 2001, and especially to those who found themselves closest to the events of September 11; to our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines, in dangerous places; to those who have endured the tsunami, and to all who have suffered natural disasters, and must now find the will to rebuild; to the oppressed and to those whose lot it is to struggle in financial hardship or in failing health; to my fellow journalists in places where reporting the truth means risking all; and to each of you, Courage. For The CBS Evening News. Dan Rather reporting. Good night.

Rather was born in Wharton, Texas and graduated from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, where he wanted to play football. He worked at local radio station KSAM in Huntsville during his college years. Following graduation he worked for radio station KTRK in Houston and went to work for KHOU-TV, the CBS affiliate in Houston. In 1961, he covered Hurricane Carla for KHOU-TV in Houston, Texas, and it caught the eye of CBS News executives, who hired him in 1962. He was in Dallas on November 22, 1963 and was CBS' lead anchor from Dallas during the coverage of the Kennedy assassination. In 1975, he became co-anchor of "60 Minutes" (1968) and in 1981 was selected to replace Walter Cronkite as anchor of the "CBS Evening News" (196)_, where he remains as anchor to this day. The Communications Building on the campus of Sam Houston State University is named for Rather.