Jeff Fager

In early 1982, I was producing the 11 o'clock news at KPIX, the CBS station in San Francisco. Diane Sawyer, then an anchor at CBS News, came to speak in our newsroom. I don't even remember why. That's the kind of thing that happened back then. When the event ended, someone asked whether anyone would drive her to the airport, and my hand was in the air before the question was finished. During the drive, I told her I wanted to get on the network and asked how to do it. She answered without hesitation. CBS was launching a new overnight program that would run from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m., and the network was about to begin hiring its staff. I should apply, she said. So I did. They needed someone who knew how to produce a live television news broadcast, which was exactly what I had been doing. They contacted a CBS News correspondent in San Francisco who knew the program I was running and thought highly of it. I got the job. I was 27 when I arrived at CBS News, and I was stunned by how...

Jeff Fager’s CBS News career journey is one of the most inspiring stories in modern broadcast journalism . His path from a young producer to a respected leader at 60 Minutes shows the power of passion, timing, and dedication. Jeff Fager's CBS News career began with an unexpected opportunity in 1982 that changed the direction of his professional life. At only 27 years old, he stepped into a major role at CBS News and started learning the demands of live television. His early years were filled with challenges, long hours, and important lessons that shaped his future. Through hard work and strong storytelling skills, Jeff developed a deep connection with journalism. His experience at CBS became a journey of growth, leadership, and commitment to honest reporting. An Unexpected Start at CBS News Opened New Doors Jeff Fager’s entrance into CBS News was not part of a carefully planned career path. Instead, it came through a surprising opportunity that changed everything. A meeting with ...

We have heard so many stories today about watching him operate. Yesterday, I heard a good one from my childhood pal Chris Barker. He and our good friend Tim Lannigan were both considering pre-med in college, so they asked Papa if they could watch him perform an operation. They entered the OR, fully scrubbed and standing behind him with a clear view. The patient had been prepared for a brain stem operation . Papa made the first sweeping incision in the scalp. At that moment, Tim's knees began to buckle, and he went straight to the floor. Chris said his knees buckled too, and he felt queasy, but he stood firm. Neither of them pursued medicine. My brother Chris spoke about occasionally tagging along with him at work. I loved doing that too, following Papa on his hospital rounds, where you had to break into a light jog just to keep pace with him. Just out of college, I lived in the Back Bay and enjoyed stopping by the old clinic simply to visit. As Chris said, Papa was concerned about ...

  To learn more, click the links below: Jeff Fager to Join Brock Greene of Oligo Nation to Host 14th Annual Oligo Nation Masters, Benefiting Brain Cancer Research Jeff Fager to Join Brock Greene of Oligo Nation to Host 14th Annual Oligo Nation Masters Jeff Fager Join Brock Greene Jeff Fager Joins Oligo Nation’s 14th Annual Masters to Support Brain Cancer Research

How wonderful it is to see this turnout in honor of Harry. He would never have expected it. He went over the details of his wishes for his funeral and this service with Melinda, and he made a point of saying that he did not want to presume an event like this, a CBS memorial service , would take place. But the fact that it is taking place, and in a building named for Bill Paley, would have meant a great deal to him. Harry cried at everything, and this would have brought him to tears, especially the Paley part. He loved CBS. It was part of him, part of his soul, but he was far too humble to assume he would be honored in this way. Harry was buried last month in Indianapolis, near his parents. It was what he wanted: to go home. His burial followed a beautiful funeral at his sister Betty Jo's church. At the outset, the minister explained that he had not known Harry, but he did his best. In his opening remarks, he suggested that Harry was probably arriving in heaven and, at that very mom...

When I first arrived at 60 Minutes in the late 1980s, I was warned about the place: watch your back, people may try to steal your story, producers tend to keep to themselves, and some people who work there tend toward meanness. That was why I was so surprised to discover that my new next-door office neighbor was kind, generous, collegial, and endlessly interesting. Yes, it was George. Over the years, we spent a great deal of time together, and I learned much from George and much about who he was. I learned that he was relatively humble most of the time, although he set aside any sense of humility when speaking about his wife, Susan, who walked on water and turned everything she touched into gold. It was a little annoying at first, until I was able to confirm through everyone who ever knew Susan that those things were actually true. I learned that he was always recruiting young people to work with him, that he loved teaching them, and that he took great pride in watching them grow. At ...