HOMETOWN: Born in New York City; Living in Washington, D.C., since 1963.

EDUCATION/CAREER TRACK: B.A. with honors in government from Cornell University, Phi Beta Kappa; M.S. with honors in journalism from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Staff Writer, The Associated Press, in New Orleans, New York and Washington, 1960-72; chief political writer for AP, 1972-75; Washington correspondent, The Sun (Baltimore), 1976-81; Washington bureau chief, The Dallas Morning News, 1981-present.

MOST UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE ON THE JOB: Interviewing and covering six presidents (Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton and Bush) and nine vice presidents (Humphrey, Agnew, Ford, Rockefeller, Mondale, Bush, Quayle, Gore, Cheney). Being accused by aides to two presidential candidates (Humphrey and McGovern) of costing them the election because of stories I wrote. Visiting 70 countries, most of them with presidents or vice presidents.

SOMETHING PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT ME: My most prized possession is a baseball autographed by Joe DiMaggio that I "caught" at Yankee Stadium when I was 10.

IF I HAD TWO SPARE HOURS, I WOULD: Go ice skating.

OUTSIDE OF THE NEWS, MY FAVORITE COMMENTATORS ARE: David Broder and Bob Novak.