Walter Leland Cronkite , Jr. ( November 4 , 1916 - July 17 , 2009 ) was an American news reporter . He was the anchor of CBS News from 1962 to 1981 . Walter Leland Cronkite , Jr. ( November 4 , 1916 -- July 17 , 2009 ) was an American broadcast journalist , best known as anchorman for the CBS Evening News for 19 years ( 1962 -- 81 ) .