Editing Walter Cronkite (section)

== Retirement ==
On February 14, 1980, Cronkite announced that he intended to retire from the ''[[CBS Evening News]]''; at the time, CBS had a policy of mandatory retirement by age 65.<ref>[http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/C/htmlC/cronkitewal/cronkitewal.htm Walter Cronkite at museum.tv] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060923044634/http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/C/htmlC/cronkitewal/cronkitewal.htm |date=September 23, 2006 }}.</ref> Although sometimes compared to a [[Father Figure|father figure]] or an uncle figure, in an interview about his retirement he described himself as being more like a "comfortable old shoe" to his audience. His last day in the anchor chair at the ''CBS Evening News'' was on March 6, 1981; he was succeeded the following Monday by Dan Rather.<ref>{{cite book |last=Murray |first=Michael D. |title=Encyclopedia of television news |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |year=1999 |isbn =978-1-57356-108-2 |edition=illustrated |page=35 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=J3fhcUnCC1AC&q=early+part+of+his+tenure+anchoring+the+CBS+Evening+News&pg=PA35}}</ref>

Cronkite's farewell statement:

{{blockquote|This is my last broadcast as the anchorman of ''The CBS Evening News''; for me, it's a moment for which I long have planned, but which, nevertheless, comes with some sadness. For almost two decades, after all, we've been meeting like this in the evenings, and I'll miss that. But those who have made anything of this departure, I'm afraid have made ''too'' much. This is but a transition, a passing of the baton. A great broadcaster and gentleman, [[Douglas Edwards|Doug Edwards]], preceded me in this job, and another, Dan Rather, will follow.<ref name="Barron" /> And anyway, the person who sits here is but the most conspicuous member of a superb team of journalists; writers, reporters, editors, producers, and none of that will change. Furthermore, ''I'm'' not even going away! I'll be back from time to time with special news reports and documentaries, and, beginning in June, every week, with our science program, ''Universe''.<ref name="KTVN Channel 2" /> Old anchormen, you see, don't fade away; they just keep coming back for more. And that's the way it is: Friday, March 6, 1981. I'll be away on assignment, and Dan Rather will be sitting in here for the next few years. Good night.<ref>{{cite web |last=Cronkite |first=Walter |title="And that's the way it is": Walter Cronkite's final sign off |publisher=CBS |date=March 6, 1981 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5tdqojA26E | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211102/G5tdqojA26E| archive-date=2021-11-02 | url-status=live|access-date=September 7, 2016}}{{cbignore}}</ref>}}

On the eve of Cronkite's retirement, he appeared on ''[[The Tonight Show]]'' hosted by [[Johnny Carson]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rtm909-d8uo| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190812121401/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rtm909-d8uo&gl=US&hl=en| archive-date=2019-08-12 | url-status=dead|title=Johnny Carson Plays Walter Cronkite|last=Lloyd Wynn|date=January 21, 2018|via=YouTube}}</ref> The following night, Carson did a [[parody|comic spoof]] of his on-air [[farewell address]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJafME2mKag| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211102/KJafME2mKag| archive-date=2021-11-02 | url-status=live|title=Johnny Carson Plays Walter Cronkite|last=RockfrdDrm|date=August 27, 2013|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref>