Tim Russert passed away Friday after suffering a heart attack at the Washington Bureau, NBC News reported. The 58-year-old was the NBC News Washington bureau chief and the moderator of 'Meet the Press.'According to the network, Russert was recording voiceovers for Sunday's episode of "Meet the Press" at the time of his collapse. He had just returned from a family vacation to Italy to celebrate his son's college graduation.
He was "one of the premier political journalists and analysts of his time," said Tom Brokaw, former longtime anchor of 'NBC Nightly News,' when he announced Russert's death. "This news division will not be the same without his strong, clear voice."
Russert joined NBC News in 1984 and has hosted 'Meet the Press' since December 1991. The show is in its 60th year, making it the longest-running program in TV history. Russert has also held the positions of vice president of NBC News and head of its Washington operations.
In 2008, Russert was named one of Time Magazine's 100 most influential people in the world.
He received an Emmy Award in 2004 for his coverage of President Ronald Reagan's funeral, and his 2000 "Meet the Press" interviews with George W. Bush and Al Gore earned him the Radio and Television Correspondent's Joan S. Barone Award and the Annenberg Center's Walker Cronkite Award. Other accolades included the Edward R. Murrow Award for Overall Excellence in Television Journalism, the John Peter Zenger Award, the American Legion Journalism Award, the Veterans of Foreign Wars News Media Award, the Congressional Medal of Honor Society Journalism Award and the Allen H. Neuharth Award for Excellence in Journalism.
A member of the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame, Russert also penned two New York Times bestselling books, 2004's Big Russ and Me and 2006's Wisdom of Our Fathers.
Russert is survived by his wife, Vanity Fair writer Maureen Orth, and his son, Luke.
