Elmer Lower, a former ABC News president who tripled the size of the network's news division during the 60s and 70s, died July 26, 2011, in Vero Beach, Florida. He was 98.
A longtime broadcast journalist and news executive, Lower worked at CBS and NBC, then served as president of ABC News from 1963 to 1974. During that period, the news division, which had long lagged behind CBS and NBC, grew from 250 to 750 employees, and the evening news expanded from 15 minutes to 30 minutes.
Lower also instrumental in ABC’s hiring of such renowned news figures as Peter Jennings, Ted Koppel, Frank Reynolds and Sam Donaldson.
In 1975, Lower received a lifetime achievement Emmy Award. In addition, the Radio-Television News Directors Association gave him its highest honor, the Paul White Award.
After retiring from news in 1978, the Kansas City native returned to his alma mater, the University of Missouri, where he served as dean of the journalism school from 1982 to 1984. He lectured widely on broadcast journalism for 20 years.
Lower’s first wife died in 1981. He is survived by his second wife, two sons, two grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.