CBS News Correspondent Mike Wallace Dies at 93

NEW YORK: The CBS News legend Mike Wallace, who was a long-time correspondent on 60 Minutes, passed away on Saturday at the age of 93.

He passed "peacefully surrounded by family members" at Waveny Care Center in New Canaan, CT, where he spent the last few years, according to a statement from CBS.

“It is with tremendous sadness that we mark the passing of Mike Wallace. His extraordinary contribution as a broadcaster is immeasurable and he has been a force within the television industry throughout its existence. His loss will be felt by all of us at CBS,” said Leslie Moonves, the president and CEO of CBS Corporation.

“All of us at CBS News and particularly at 60 Minutes owe so much to Mike,” added Jeff Fager, the chairman of CBS News and executive producer of 60 Minutes. “Without him and his iconic style, there probably wouldn’t be a 60 Minutes. There simply hasn’t been another broadcast journalist with that much talent. It almost didn’t matter what stories he was covering, you just wanted to hear what he would ask next. Around CBS he was the same infectious, funny and ferocious person as he was on TV. We loved him and we will miss him very much.”

Wallace was a correspondent on 60 Minutes from its premiere in 1968. In his career, Wallace gained a reputation as a hard-hitting reporter for his style of interrogative interviews. He spent 38 seasons with the show before announcing his retirement in 2006. He remained as correspondent emeritus with the program and still occasionally contributed to the news magazine and the CBS News platforms.

A special program celebrating Wallace will run on 60 Minutes on April 15.