Mark Knoller, the longtime CBS News correspondent known as the unofficial historian of the American presidency, has died at the age of 73.
Knoller died in Washington, D.C., according to a close friend. The cause of death was not disclosed, though he had long battled diabetes and other health issues.
White House Historian and Statistician
For decades, Knoller was a fixture in the White House press corps, meticulously tracking every action, trip, and word of U.S. presidents. His exhaustive daily logs — covering speeches, pardons, vetoes, vacations, golf outings, and more — became a unique archive of modern presidential history.
“Mark Knoller was the hardest-working and most prolific White House correspondent of a generation,” said Tom Cibrowski, president and executive editor of CBS News. “Everyone in America knew his distinctive voice and his up-to-the-minute reporting across eight Presidential administrations.”
A Career in Journalism
Born Feb. 20, 1952, in Brooklyn, New York, Knoller studied at New York University before starting as an intern and copy boy at WNEW Radio. He later joined the Associated Press Radio Network, where he spent 13 years before moving to CBS News in 1988.
Initially working as an assignment editor, Knoller soon found his true calling as a CBS Radio White House correspondent. Over the years, he covered Presidents George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump. He left CBS in 2020.
Tributes From Colleagues
CBS colleagues remembered him as both a gifted journalist and a kind friend.
“Mark Knoller was simply the best, a legendary White House journalist who was a delight to be around,” said Norah O’Donnell.
“Mark was the most devoted, tenacious and clear-eyed journalist I have ever had the honor of knowing,” said Major Garrett.
Jim Axelrod called him “kind, witty, funny… always answering with kindness, class, and a sincere desire to help.”
