James Joseph McManus Obituary
James J. McManus, a former Indiana newspaperman and later a CBS News correspondent, died Tuesday May 17, 2022 in Madison, GA. He was 90 years of age.
Mr. McManus was born in Ohio, spent his boyhood in rural Indiana and became a journalist after graduation from Indiana University. He was an Indiana newspaper, radio and television reporter and broadcaster and later a White House correspondent, whose assignments carried him to more than 50 nations around the world. He retired from CBS News in 1988, but continued to work as a freelance writer and video producer. He also taught communications at Georgia State University.
Mr. McManus, a graduate of Concannon High School, was a combat veteran of the Korean War, serving aboard the destroyer USS THE SULLIVANS (DD-537). His remains will be inurned at Arlington National Cemetery with military honors.
In brief departures from his craft, he served as director of the Aeronautics Commission of Indiana and personal pilot for Governor Matthew E. Welsh. Later, he was special assistant to Indiana Congressman Lee H. Hamilton, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.
In 1968, as assistant to Pierre Salinger, he was chief of press advance for Robert F. Kennedy, travelling with the senator in his national campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination in Indiana, Oregon, California and New York. Eventually, his duties included funeral arrangements for the senator in New York City, the funeral train to Washington, DC and burial in Arlington National Cemetery.
Beginning in 1954, Mr. McManus was a reporter and broadcaster for WBOW radio and later WTHI radio and television in Terre Haute. He later wrote for the Bloomington (Indiana) Star-Courier, reported for the Indianapolis Times, a Scripps-Howard newspaper and for WFBM (WRTV) radio and television, then a Time-Life Broadcast station in Indianapolis. In 1968, he became White House correspondent for Group W, Westinghouse Broadcasting and from 1976 onward was a CBS News correspondent.
As a political reporter, Mr. McManus covered Richard M. Nixon's winning campaign for the presidency, joined the president on all domestic and foreign travels and was aboard USS HORNET for the South Pacific splashdown of the Apollo 11 astronauts after their historic voyage to the moon. He covered two nuclear arms reduction talks in Moscow and President Nixon's visit to the Peoples Republic of China in 1972. He also reported the Watergate Scandal that led to the president's resignation in August, 1974.
James Joseph McManus was born in Akron, Ohio, 17 November 1931, to Joseph and Anne Allison McManus. His father was born in Lennoxtown, Scotland, his mother in Ohio. Mr. McManus was twice married; to Helen Lee Siverly of Marshall, Illinois and Lavonne B. Meister, of Indianapolis, with whom he had five daughters. Both marriages ended in divorce.
Mr. McManus is survived by a sister, JoAnne McManus of Florida; daughters Allison (Michael) Fender of Georgia; Karen (Major Andrew, deceased) Burris of Georgia; Lynn (Andrew) Wallar of California; Annie (Hank) Tremaine of Florida; Jeanne (Robert) Suarez of Washington State and grandchildren, Robert and Jennifer Sale; Allison Burris Edwards, Kelly and Krissy Tremaine and Nicholas and Steven Suarez.
Special thanks to the many friends, neighbors, business people and caregivers who so thoughtfully and wonderfully cared for him.
A memorial service will be held at 11 AM on Tuesday, May 24, 2022 in the chapel of A.E. Carter Funeral Home. A reception will follow immediately at Ricardo's Kouzzina in Madison.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Alzheimer's Dementia Society or to and animal shelter or rescue of your choice.
