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TCU Bob Schieffer College of Communication
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Chapter Two

Bob's Time at TCU

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CH02

Making the Grade at TCU

Bob’s mother, Gladys Payne Schieffer, was a formidable woman who Bob said “made me into the person I am,” but she got one thing wrong: She was convinced he should be a doctor. Bob had never had an interest in science, so after two years in pre-med, he got up the courage to tell her he was going to be a reporter. That summer, he switched his major to journalism and got a job at KXOL, a small Fort Worth radio station that played rock 'n roll music and covered local news.

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Did You Know

Bob was a member of the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps and the Phi Delta Theta fraternity.

Fun Fact

Bob worked at KTCU radio while he was in college at TCU. Click here to learn more about KTCU radio.

Bob speaking at the 2015 Schieffer Symposium
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View Bob speaking at the 2015 Schieffer Symposium
Bob Schieffer memorabilia showcased at TCU
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View CBS News story on Bob Schieffer’s memorabilia showcased at TCU
Bob Schieffer Symposium at TCU
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View Bob speaking at the 4th Annual Schieffer Symposium

Bob's Activities at TCU

Bob enrolled in Air Force ROTC as a freshman and had hoped to go to pilot training, but fate had another plan. He had walked on and made the freshman baseball team, but halfway into the season, he was hit in the eye by SMU pitcher Paul Dean, Jr. (Dizzy Dean’s nephew). "That ended my baseball career and after that I was unable to pass the eye test to be a pilot,” he said.

"I did whatever I needed to do to graduate."

–Bob Schieffer

Bob found time to become sports editor of The Skiff student newspaper, but it was not a path to achieving good grades. He said he took nine semesters of Spanish just to get the required four for graduation and eventually received a C in his final semester. He made the grade, got his diploma (barely), and headed off to Travis Air Force Base, where he was put in charge of the base newspaper.