How CBS News Anchor Dan Rather Met His Wife Jean

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Due to Dan Rather's long tenure on "CBS Evening News," many people grew up watching him. However, while we may be familiar with hearing him deliver info about events all around the world, most of us likely don't know a lot about the man himself. Away from the news desk, Dan had a sweet love story with his wife, Jean Rather. Dan met Jean when they both worked at a Texas radio station in the late 1950s, and his news career was just getting started. "In my case, it was love at first sight. Not only was she so intelligent, she was smoking hot," Dan explained to Closer in 2020.

The veteran newscaster reminisced about his early romance with Jean in his memoir, "Rather Outspoken," noting that he upped his own grooming routine in his efforts to win her over. Dan also remarked on their enduring love story, writing, "I was crazy about her from the first moment I saw her. I'm still crazy about her." 

Since his radio job required him to work every day, the couple likely didn't have a lot of time for dating. "She would come and sit with me in the newsroom as I did my work on Saturday nights," Dan recalled in the Netflix documentary "Rather." Dan was completely smitten and not taking anything for granted. Recalling his marriage proposal, Dan remarked, "Jean surprised me by saying 'yes.'" The couple married on April 21, 1957, and enjoyed 67 years together before Jean died in 2024.

Dan Rather has an impressive net worth of $70 million, and he worked a grueling schedule to become a renowned journalist. During the 1960s, Jean Rather was on her own with their two young children. "When I was covering the Civil Rights Movement, there was a year when I was only home for 31 days, and I was in Vietnam for the better part of 1965–'66," Dan recalled to Closer in 2020. After risking his life to report from Vietnam, Rather took on another dangerous assignment when he went to Afghanistan in 1980. However, despite the safety concerns, Jean understood and respected her husband's choices in both instances.

Even when Dan wasn't abroad, his pursuit of Watergate put his career in a precarious position. Dan revisited this time in his memoir, "Rather Outspoken," recalling Jean's crucial encouragement. "You know, as you've always known, that I trust your judgement," Jean informed him. "I trust you, and I'm behind you all the way."

Time and again, Dan's made sure to credit Jean for her steadfast partnership. Even when Dan's involvement in a questionable story about George W. Bush's past cost him his CBS job, Jean helped him understand and process the loss. In his memoir, Dan broke tradition by writing a lengthy dedication to his wife. "To her ... this book is owed -– as is just about every good and decent thing I have ever done in my adult life," he wrote.