William Madden Plante (January 14, 1938 – September 28, 2022) was an American journalist and correspondent for CBS News.[1] He joined the network in 1964. Plante was noted for being the network's senior White House correspondent for over three decades.
Plante was posthumously awarded the Dunnigan-Payne Prize for lifetime career achievement on Saturday, April 29, 2023, at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.[2]
Early life and education
Plante was born in Chicago, on January 14, 1938.[3][4] His father, Regis, was employed as a field engineer for a heating company; his mother, Jane (Madden), worked as a school administrator. Plante attended Loyola Academy in his hometown, graduating in 1955.[3][4] It was around this time he was employed by a classical music radio station in Evanston, Illinois, his first experience with broadcasting.[4]
After completing his studies at Columbia, Plante started working for CBS News in June 1964 as a reporter and assignment editor.[4][5] He was sent to South Vietnam later that year to report on the Vietnam War, the first of four tours as a correspondent.[3][5] His final tour in 1975 saw him cover the fall of Phnom Penh and fall of Saigon, which earned his CBS News team the "Best Radio Spot News Reporting from Abroad" award from the Overseas Press Club.[5][6]
Plante was promoted to correspondent the following year and was posted to the network's Chicago bureau. He was there for ten years and reported on the 1966 riots in the city, protests at Ohio University, the strike by the United Auto Workers in 1970, and Jimmy Hoffa's disappearance five years later. During this time, he also covered events overseas, including the state funeral of Gamal Abdel Nasser and the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, which earned him two more Overseas Press Club awards for spot radio news.[5]
Plante was noted for his extensive wine collection. Other members of the press corps considered him to be an expert on the subject and became their unofficial sommelier during his tenure as White House correspondent.[4][5] He also spoke about the subject from time to time on The Early Show and CBS News Sunday Morning.[5]
While covering Bill Clinton's visit to New Zealand, Plante bungee jumped over the Kawarau River alongside White House aides. Before jumping, he declared, "This is Bill Plante of CBS News, proving that you're never too old to do something foolish".[4]
Plante was known for his booming baritone voice.[7]
Personal life
Plante's first marriage was to Barbara Barnes Orteig.[3][4] Together, they had two children, as well as four sons from her previous marriage whom Plante adopted,[4] including future syndicated radio talk show host Chris Plante.[10] They eventually divorced and he later married Robin Smith in 1987.[4] They remained married for 34 years until his death.[5] One of his sons, Patrick, predeceased him in 2014.[3][4]
Plante died on September 28, 2022, at his home in Washington, D.C., after suffering from respiratory failure. He was 84.[3][4]