ANDY ROONEY : WRITER / COMMENTATOR GIVES HIS FINAL REGULAR LAST WORD ON 60 MINUTES...........

Andy Rooney, the 92 year old writer/commentator/broadcaster, who wrote for, 'The Stars and Stripes' newspaper, during World War Two, and who joined CBS News in 1949, and has been there sixty two years, until tonight; delivered the 1,097th commentary he has written since 1978, on the '60 Minutes' television newsmagazine on this October 2, 2011.  A brashly direct, curmugdeonly, commentator, Andy Rooney spent his first nineteen years at CBS, writing on radio and television for entertainment star,Arthur Godfrey, then newsman, Harry Reasoner.  As '60 Minutes' entered its 11th season in 1978, series creator/executive producer, Don Hewitt, added Andy Rooney, to spend a few minutes at the conclusion of the broadcast commenting on topics of his choice.  It was social and pop culture commentary on par with the political and foreign relations commentary of CBS News reporter, turned Evening News commentator, Eric Sevareid, who delivered his commentaries on the, 'CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite', from 1964-1977.  Andy Rooney has bore one advantage Sevareid did not have.  Until the early to mid 1980's CBS had a mandatory retirement age at 65.  Rooney began his '60 Minutes' commentaries at 59 years old and is wrapping them up now at age 92.  Andy Rooney's last words tonight, where a summation of his seventy years as a writer, and he uttered the words he admitted, he does not say often, "Thank You"; but remained true to form to the end, by concluding with the words, "Although, if you see me in a restaurant, please just let me have my dinner" !  To whom does, or will, Andy Rooney pass the torch for his style of social commentary, with the equal credibility and longevity, he has been able to provide ?  There are many good commentators in the media universe, but few with the stature and staying power of Andy Rooney, who after seven decades, steps aside admired as, An Honest Man...........Thank You Andy !!!!!!!!!!!,  Fr.  Troy