Tony Snow

Infobox Politician
name = Tony Snow


width = 250 px
caption = Snow during a White House briefing in 2006.
small_

order = 26^th
office = White House Press Secretary
term_start = May 8 2006
term_end = September 14 2007
president = George W. Bush
predecessor = Scott McClellan
successor = Dana Perino
birth_date = birth date|1955|6|1
birth_place = Berea, Kentucky, USA
death_date = death date and age|2008|7|12|1955|6|1
death_place = Georgetown, Washington, D.C.
party = Republican
relations =
spouse = Jill Ellen Walker (married 1987)
children = 2 daughters, 1 son
residence =
occupation = News anchor, radio host, White House Press Secretary
religion = Roman Catholic


website =
footnotes =

Robert Anthony Snow (June 1 1955 – July 12 2008) was an American political commentator, television news anchor, syndicated columnist, blues-rock musician, radio host, and the third White House Press Secretary under President George W. Bush. Snow also worked for President George H. W. Bush as chief speechwriter and Deputy Assistant of Media Affairs. Snow served as White House Press Secretary from May 2006 until his resignation effective September 2007.

Between his two White House stints, Snow was a broadcaster and newspaper columnist. After years of regular guest-hosting for "The Rush Limbaugh Show" and providing news commentary for National Public Radio, he launched his own talk radio program, "The Tony Snow Show", which went on to become nationally syndicated. He was also a regular personality on Fox News Channel since 1996, hosting "Fox News Sunday" and "Weekend Live", and often substituting as host of "The O'Reilly Factor". In April 2008, Snow briefly joined CNN as a commentator. [cite news |title=Former White House Press Secretary Tony Snow joins CNN |url=http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/04/21/former-white-house-press-secretary-tony-snow-joins-cnn/|publisher=CNN|date=2008-04-21 |accessdate=2008-07-12 ]

In his journalistic and governmental capacities, Snow generally supported conservative policy positions. [ [http://www.intellectualconservative.com/2008/07/12/a-gentleman-and-conservative-warrior/ "A Gentleman and Conservative Warrior," IntellectualConservative, July 12, 2008.] ] [ [http://www.nydailynews.com/news/us_world/2008/07/12/2008-07-12_tony_snow_is_dead_former_bush_press_secr.html "Tony Snow is Dead; Former Bush Press Secretary Was 53," "New York Daily News", July 12, 2008.] ]

Early life, family and interests

Snow was born in Berea, Kentucky, and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. His father, Jim, taught social studies and was an assistant principal at Princeton High School in suburban Cincinnati, from which his son graduated. His mother was an inner-city nurse who died of colon cancer in 1973 when Snow was 17 years old. After graduating from Princeton High School in Sharonville, Ohio, Snow obtained his Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from Davidson College in 1977.

Snow was an avid musician. He played the trombone, flute, piccolo, accordion, saxophone and guitar, and belonged to a cover band, Beats Workin', which featured fellow Washington-area professionals. Beats Workin' played publicly with a number of rock bands, including Snow's friends Skunk Baxter (The Doobie Brothers, Steely Dan) and Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull. He was featured on an episode of VH1 Classic's Rock 'n Roll Fantasy Camp. [ [http://www.beatsworkinmusic.com/ Welcome to the Beats Workin' Website! ] ]

Early career

Snow began his journalism career in 1979 as an editorial writer for "The Greensboro Record" in North Carolina, next working as an editorial writer at "The Virginian-Pilot" in Norfolk, Virginia (1981–82), editorial page editor of "The Daily Press" in Newport News (1982–84), deputy editorial page editor of "The Detroit News" (1984–87) and editorial page editor of "The Washington Times" (1987–91). Also, "The Detroit News" published his commentary from 1993 to 2000, and he was a Counterpoint Columnist for "USA Today" from 1994 to 2000.

Snow also wrote a syndicated column for Creators Syndicate between 1993 and 2000. As a nationally syndicated columnist, his commentaries appeared in more than 200 newspapers nationwide. Snow won numerous awards during his print career, including citations from the Virginia Press Association, the Detroit Press Club, the Society of Professional Journalists, the American Society of Newspaper Editors, The Associated Press and Gannett.

He appeared on radio and television programs worldwide including "The McLaughlin Group", "The MacNeil–Lehrer NewsHour", "Face the Nation", "Crossfire", and "Good Morning America". Until 1994, Snow was the writer, correspondent and host of the PBS news special "The New Militant Center".

In 1991, Snow took a sabbatical from journalism to work in the White House for President George H. W. Bush, first as chief speechwriter (Deputy Assistant to the President for Communications and Director of Speechwriting) and later as Deputy Assistant to the President for Media Affairs (1992–1993).

From 1996 to 2003, he served as the first host of "FOX News Sunday", a Sunday morning interview and roundtable program produced by Fox News, airing on affiliates of the Fox Broadcasting Company and later in the day on Fox News Channel.

Snow served as the primary guest host of Rush Limbaugh's program from the mid-1990s on. He was also a frequent commentator on National Public Radio. Snow's own "Tony Snow Show" on Fox News Radio premiered in late 2003. It ended when he became White House Press Secretary in April 2006.

Return to the White House

In April 2006, Snow was named White House Press Secretary to replace Scott McClellan in the George W. Bush administration. His appointment to the position was formally announced on April 26 2006. The position of White House Press Secretary has historically been filled by individuals from news media backgrounds.

His selection as press secretary was initially criticized because of some of his past comments about Bush.cite web
url = http://thinkprogress.org/2006/04/25/snow-on-bush/
title = Tony Snow On President Bush: ‘An Embarrassment,’ ‘Impotent,’ ‘Doesn’t Seem To Mean What He Says’
date = April 25 2006
accessdate = 2007-07-21
publisher = Think Progress] Bush acknowledged Snow's prior criticisms during the announcement of his appointment, stating that Snow was "not afraid to express his own opinions".cite web
last = Dodge
first = Catherine
coauthors = Brendan Murray
url = http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=aPB0cCQxiemQ&refer=us
title = Bush Picks Fox News's Snow as White House Spokesman
publisher = Bloomberg.com
date = April 26 2006
accessdate = 2007-07-21]

Snow began his new press secretary duties on May 8 2006. Snow decided to leave the position of press secretary after new White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten asked all staff members to either commit to staying through the end of Bush's second term or leave by Labor Day of 2007.cite web
url = http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/07/12/obit.snow/index.html
date = June 12 2008
title = Former White House Spokesman Tony Snow Dies
publisher = CNN
accessdate = 2008-07-12] In his final press briefing on September 13 2007, Snow commented that he would miss the duties of the position. "I love these briefings," he said. [cite news
last = Baker
first = Peter
url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/12/AR2007091202402_pf.html
title = Snow Relishes Final Joust With Reporters
publisher = The Washington Post
date= September 13, 2007]

Illness and death

In February 2005, while still at Fox News, Snow was diagnosed with colon cancer. He returned to broadcasting in April 2005 after having surgery.cite web
url = http://www.cancerpage.com/news/article.asp?id=8026
date = February 15 2005
title = Tony Snow Diagnosed With Colon Cancer
publisher = Matra Healthcare
accessdate = 2007-07-21] cite web |url=http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1187608,00.html | title=Why Bush Chose Tony Snow as His New Spokesman | publisher=Time Magazine | date=2006-04-25 | accessdate=2008-04-25] On March 23, 2007, after almost a year as press secretary, Snow once again recused himself from work to seek treatment for recurrent cancer.cite web
last = Brusk
first = Steve
url = http://www.cnn.com/POLITICS/blogs/politicalticker/2007/03/white-house-spokesman-snow-faces.html
date = March 23 2007
title = White House spokesman Snow faces surgery
accessdate = 2007-07-21] cite web
url = http://edition.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/03/27/cancer.snow/
title = White House spokesman's cancer returns
publisher = CNN
date= 2007-03-27
accessdate = 2007-07-21] cite web
last = Loven
first = Jennifer
url = http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=2985152
title = Tests show Snow's Cancer has returned
accessdate = 2007-03-27
publisher = Associated Press (via ABC News)] cite web
last = Holland
first = Steve
url = http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN2713047220070327?feedType=RSS
title = Bush's spokesman Snow has recurrence of cancer
accessdate = 2007-07-21
publisher = Reuters] Treatment for the spreading cancer continued to force periodic absences from his duties in his final few months as press secretary, his subsequent position as a CNN commentator, and his public speaking engagements. [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004368770_webtonysnow23m.html/] [ [http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D90UOJEO1&show_article=1 Former Bush press secretary Snow, sick, cancels Ohio speech ] ] In the early morning of July 12, 2008, Snow died at Georgetown University Hospital as a result of colon cancer that had spread to his liver. [cite news |title=Tony Snow, Former White House Press Secretary and FOX News Anchor, Dies at 53 |url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,381250,00.html |publisher=FOX News |date=2008-07-12 |accessdate=2008-07-12 ] Reacting to Snow's death, former President George H. W. Bush lauded what he felt was Snow's ability to bring "a certain civility to this very contentious job."

Career timeline

Print

* "USA Today" Columnist, 1994–2000
* "The Detroit News" Columnist, 1993–2000
* "The Washington Times" Editorial Page Editor, 1987–91
* "The Detroit News" Deputy Editorial Page Editor, 1984–87
* "The Newport News Daily Press" Editorial Page Editor, 1982–84
* "The Virginian-Pilot" Editorials writer, 1981–82
* "The Greensboro Record" Editorials writer, 1979
* Council on Foreign Relations

Radio

* "The Tony Snow Show" (2003–2006)
* National Public Radio
* Guest hosting: "The Rush Limbaugh Show" (1990s), "The Radio Factor" (2008), "Paul Harvey News and Comment" (2008)

Television

* "Weekend Live"
* "Fox News Sunday" 1996–2003
* "The O'Reilly Factor"

References

External links

* [http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/04/20060426.html President Announces Tony Snow as Press Secretary] , White House news release
* [http://www.jewishworldreview.com/tony/snow.html Tony Snow] at Jewish World Review
* [http://www.ashbrook.org/events/lecture/1995/snow.html Tony Snow 1995 lecture] , the John M. Ashbrook Center for Public Affairs at Ashland University
* [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0811331/ Tony Snow] at The Internet Movie Database
*Find A Grave|id=28215159
*Tony Snow Tribute at [http://StainFreeMedia.wordpress.com]
* [http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/july/25.30.html Cancer's Unexpected Blessing] by Tony Snow at [http://www.christianitytoday.com/ Christianity Today]

Persondata
NAME = Snow, Tony
ALTERNATIVE NAMES = Snow, Robert Anthony
SHORT DESCRIPTION = American White House Press Secretary
DATE OF BIRTH = June 1 1955
PLACE OF BIRTH = Berea, Kentucky, United States
DATE OF DEATH = July 12 2008
PLACE OF DEATH = Georgetown, Washington, D.C., United States