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Mike Wallace, 1957 photo — The often abrasive TV correspondent died Sat. at age 93 at a care facility in Connecticut.

WAS TELEVISION’S ORIGINATOR
OF ‘AMBUSH’ INTERVIEW STYLE
 
Mike Wallace, the hard-hitting “60 Minutes” TV correspondent who pioneered what has become known as the surprise or ambush-style interview, died over the weekend at an assisted living facilty in New Canaan, Conn. where he had been domiciled in recent years.

His often abrasive adversarial interviewing style was as admired as it was feared. On the highly acclaimed “60 Minutes” weekly newsmagazine show — of which he was the original co-anchor along with Harry Reasoner — Wallace’s aggressive demeanor was counterbalanced by the folksiness of his co-host.

In 1968, Wallace was offered the high-ranking position of press secretary to then-presidential candidate Richard Nixon, who went on to win the White House two times.

Wallace turned the post down, preferring to make his name in television instead.

READ MORE ABOUT MIKE WALLACE IN THE NEW YORK TIMES’ OBITUARY (click here)