Tony Snow

File:Tony snow.jpg

Tony Snow

Robert Anthony "Tony" Snow (born June 1 1955) is a FOX News anchor and talk show host who will assume the duties of White House Press Secretary when outgoing Press Secretary Scott McClellan vacates the post. He is the third individual to serve in the position during the administration of President George W. Bush, and his appointment to the position was formally announced on April 26 2006. In the formal announcement, Bush stated that Snow would "explain [Bush's] decisions to the press."

Snow served as a talk show host on the Fox News Radio network, and served as the host of FOX News Sunday from 1996 to 2003. He also frequently served as a commentator on National Public Radio, and as a guest host on the Rush Limbaugh program.

(Although Snow coming from a news media background is presently being seen as unusual, the position of White House Press Secretary has often been filled by individuals from news media backgrounds: Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed Stephen T. Early, a United Press reporter and Associated Press correspondent; Harry S. Truman appointed J. Leonard Reinsch, a radio man; Jonathan W. Daniels, a newspaper man; Charles Griffith Ross, a newspaper man; Early; Joseph Short, a newspaper man; and Roger Tubby, a reporter and editor; Dwight D. Eisenhower appointed James C. Hagerty, a New York Times reporter; JFK appointed Pierre Salinger, Gerald Ford appointed NBC News correspondent Ron Nessen to the post.)

Snow differs somewhat from the aforementioned individuals however. While they were primarily reporters, Snow's long newspaper career was not reportorial in nature. Rather, he wrote editorials and opinion columns. This makes no difference though to most American people who consider the press everything printed in the newspaper, through a media page online, on television, and on the radio billed or with a paid byline as all in the media.

Snow has had prior experience working for a Bush Presidential Administration — as chief speechwriter, and later, Deputy Assistant to the President for Media Affairs to President George H. W. Bush.

Snow is considered a somewhat controversial choice for the position, due to previously voiced criticism of President Bush and his Administration. His selection as press secretary has been cast in both positive and negative light by advocates and critics of the President. Bush acknowledged Snow's prior criticisms during the announcement of his appointment, stating that Snow was "not afraid to express his own opinions".

Snow will replace outgoing Press Secretary Scott McClellan, who resigned from the position. Snow will begin his press secretary duties upon McClellan's departure from the post May 8 2006.

Early life and family

Snow was born in Berea, Kentucky and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. After graduating from Princeton High School in Sharonville, Ohio, Snow in 1977 obtained his Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from Davidson College and studied philosophy and economics at the University of Chicago during the 1978-79 academic year. He taught physics and East African Geography in Kenya, and in Cincinnati has done substitute teaching in everything from calculus to seventh-grade art class. He also worked as an advocate for the mentally ill and developmentally disabled in North Carolina.

He is an avid musician. He plays the flute, saxophone and guitar, and belongs to a cover band, Beats Workin', which features fellow Washington-area professionals. Beats Workin' has played publicly with a number of bona fide rock stars, including Snow's friends Skunk Baxter (The Doobie Brothers, Steely Dan) and Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull.

In 1987, he married Jill Ellen Walker. They have a son and two daughters and a constantly shifting band of domestic animals, which currently includes three dogs, a cat and three guinea pigs. The Snows live in Virginia.

Career

Snow began his journalism career in 1979 in newspapers 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 has appeared on radio and television programs worldwide including The McLaughlin Group, the McNeil-Lehrer News Hour, Face The Nation, Crossfire, and Good Morning America. Prior to the 1994 elections, Snow was the writer, correspondent and host of a PBS news special, The New Militant Center, which anticipated some of the upsets that shook the political establishment.

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 (1992-93).

From 1996 to 2003 he served as the host of FOX News Sunday. Before being given his own radio show, Snow frequently served as a commentator on National Public Radio and guest host on the Rush Limbaugh program.

In February 2005, Snow revealed that he had been diagnosed with colon cancer. He returned to work in April 2005. (In 1973, Snow's mother had died of colon cancer.)

In April 2006, he was named White House Press Secretary to replace Scott McClellan.

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
• Rush Limbaugh
• National Public Radio

Television

• Weekend Live
• Fox News Sunday 1996-2003

External links

• Bio on FOXNews.com
• The Tony Snow Show website
• Tony Snow outline at Soylent Communications
• Beats Workin' the official page of Snow's band
• John M. Ashbrook Center for Public Affairs: Ashland University - Tony Snow lecture
• Fox News Sunday sign off
• Staff Overhaul Continues at White House