Bob Woodward biography

Synopsis

Early Life

Bob Woodward was born Robert Upshur Woodward in Geneva, Illinois on March 26, 1943, to Jane and Alfred Woodward. After receiving his undergraduate degree from Yale University in 1965, he enlisted into the U.S. Navy and served a five-year tour of duty. Following his discharge from the Navy, Woodward landed a reporting position at the Montgomery County Sentinel in Maryland. He left the newspaper the following year for a position at The Washington Post. The transition would soon prove to be a wise career move for the young journalist.

Watergate Coverage

Only months into his new position, in 1972, Woodward encountered one of the biggest stories of his career: Tipped to a burglary at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C., he and fellow Post reporter Carl Bernstein were called on to investigate. Woodward eventually connected the break-in to the highest levels of President Richard Nixon's administration. The Woodward-Bernstein team's coverage of the scandal amassed several Post stories, which were initially denounced but later confirmed by the White House's press secretary, Ron Ziegler. "I would apologize to the Post, and I would apologize to Mr. Woodward and Mr. Bernstein," Ziegler stated in May 1973, adding, "They have vigorously pursued this story and they deserve the credit and are receiving the credit."

Woodward and Bernstein soon became synonymous with investigative journalism, receiving wide acclaim for their journalistic work. In addition to breaking the story, their in-depth reporting and powerful writing sparked one of the greatest political upsets in American history: Nationwide news coverage; investigations by the House Judiciary Committee, Senate Watergate Committee and Watergate Special prosecutor; and, ultimately, President Nixon's resignation and the criminal conviction of many others.

In 1973, The Washington Post received the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for its Watergate coverage. The following year, Woodward and Berstein published a non-fiction book about Watergate, All the President's Men (1974). They followed with a Nixon-focused piece in 1976, The Final Days.

Later Works

More than four decades since the Watergate scandal erupted, Woodward has never rested his laurels on his early 1970s fame.