Don Hewitt recalling this anecdote in the Huffington Post article "Remembering Edward R. Murrow" (February 2009)
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However, even that didn't top Bill Downs, one of the Murrow Boys, reporting from one of the two inaugural balls in Washington on the eve of Jack Kennedy being sworn into office that: 'Both the President's balls are in full swing tonight.' Did he get chewed out? No, everyone was so convulsed with laughter that had they 'chewed him out' they might have choked.
— Don Hewitt
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "However, even that didn't top Bill Downs, one of the Murrow Boys, reporting from one of the two inaugural balls in Washington on the eve of Jack Kennedy being sworn into office that: 'Both the President's balls are in full swing tonight.' Did he get chewed out? No, everyone was so convulsed with laughter that had they 'chewed him out' they might have choked." in the context of "Don Hewitt recalling this anecdote in the Huffington Post article "Remembering Edward R. Murrow" (February 2009)" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Bill Downs" (Quotes about Downs)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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About Bill Downs
William Randall Downs, Jr. (August 17, 1914 – May 3, 1978) was a Kansas City-born American broadcast journalist for CBS Radio and later ABC. He was best known for his work with Edward R. Murrow and was one of the original Murrow Boys.
About Bill Downs
William Randall Downs, Jr. (August 17, 1914 – May 3, 1978) was a Kansas City-born American broadcast journalist for CBS Radio and later ABC. He was best known for his work with Edward R. Murrow and was one of the original Murrow Boys.
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