Commentary: Walter Cronkite, 1916-2009: Timeless lessons for us all

I was privileged to spend some time with Walter Cronkite once a year for 15 years when he visited the Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. I first met him when he came to dinner at our home in 1991, during my time as provost of Arizona State University. My mother never completely understood what a provost did, but when I called and said Walter is coming to dinner, she concluded that whatever it was must be pretty good.

Everyone in my generation recalls watching Walter tell us about the Vietnam War, the assassination of two Kennedys and Martin Luther King, the first moon landing (his favorite topic), the tall ships of the Bicentennial and many other historic events, and being reassured by his calm, thoughtful presentation. These are milestone events that shaped how we individually view the world, and Walter is woven into our memory of each. He truly was the most trusted man in America and perhaps the last nearly universally trusted man in America.

Walter considered himself a reporter, not a commentator. He reported things as he found them and was not one to impose judgment (except in one famous newscast about the Vietnam War). He was proud of his profession and understood its powerful role in society. He was concerned about what journalism was becoming and the emerging age of the reporter becoming more important than the stories.

Each year when he visited the campus, he would spend a day in classes with students, and even though they were born after he left the CBS Evening News, they would flock to him. His wisdom and humanity strongly resonated with today's students: These characteristics transcended time and generations. The students who met Walter, as well as everyone who watched his newscasts, recognized his authenticity. Walter the person was just the same as Walter the anchorman.

He exuded integrity and was renowned for his ethics, and in this regard he continues to serve as a model. For example, you never heard about him using his influence for financial gain or going easy on folks who were nice to him at a Manhattan cocktail party. With those same values in mind, last year an impressive group of seniors at the University of Nevada, Reno Reynolds School of Journalism - on their own - wrote and signed a pledge to practice ethical journalism in their careers. Each new graduating class is now offered the opportunity to sign the same pledge. Walter would have approved.

In my last year before coming to Nevada, I was asked to introduce him at the annual Cronkite lunch. I suggested to him that he really needed no introduction and, with a twinkle in his eyes, he assured me the only reason he attended such events was to be introduced. When I announced I was moving to Nevada, one of the first calls I received was from Walter to thank me for all I had done and to wish me luck. I will always treasure that call and the fact that the "most trusted man in America" considered me a friend.

• Milt Glick is president of the University of Nevada, Reno.