TheMostInfluentialAmericanintheHistoryoftheUnitedStates:

BobWoodward

DestinyBetley
U.S.History
Period1
Mr.Munoz,Mrs.C
14May2016

BobWoodwardwasgonnapursueacareerasalawyer,justlikehisfather,buthefounda
differentinterest.BobWoodwardisofofthemostfamousinvestigativejournalist.Hehad
servedintheU.S.Navyforfiveyears.AftertheNavy,theWashingtonPosthavehimatwo
weektryoutin1971.Eventhoughhewasntgoodatit,hesaid,Thankyou.ButIfoundout
something.Iloveit.Idontknowhowtodoit,butknowthatIloveit.Hehadteamedupwith
CarlBernsteinandtogethertheybrokethewatergatescandal,drivingPresidentRichardNixon
outofoffice.Woodwardbecameabigpartofthenews.Hisaccomplishmentswereuncovering
thewatergatescandal,beingamajorAmericanjournalistandauthor,andservedinthenavy.
Bobwoodwardisafamousinvestigativejournalistandauthor.Hehasbeenworkingat
thewashingtonpostsince1971.HewasapplyingtoHarvardLawschoolandhewasaccepted,
buthechosetodojournalismforacareertopursue.Hehada2weekunpaidtryoutatthe
washingtonpost.Inthetwoweek,hemadeseventeenstories,nonewereprinted.But,hehad
lovethejobandthepostgavehimanotherchancebecausetheysawpotentialandaspirationin
him.In2004,CBSNewssaid,"Woodwardhasestablishedhimselfasthebestreporterofour
time.Hemaybethebestreporterofalltime."Hewasn'treallygoodwhenhestartedthiscareer
buthelovedthejobandhebecamebetterandthebest.Hecontinuedwritingandbecame
assistantin1979.Hewasknownmoreforhisbooksthanhisnewsthough.Hemademanybest
sellingbooksontheAmericanlife.InanarticlewrittenbyBobWoodward,himself,titledHow
MarkFeltBecameDeepThroat,Yourecrazy,myfathersaid,inoneoftherarejudgmental
statementshehadevermadetome.Hisfatherwantedhimtobealawyerandfollowhis
footsteps,buthetoldhisfatheritwasoff.Hisfatherthoughthewascrazy.Butafterthe

watergatescandal,heprovedhisfatherwrongwhenhehadsaidnewspapersdontgettothe
bottomofeventsorindepthofwork.
HeenrolledinYaleUniversityaReserveOfficersTrainingCorps(ROTC)scholarship
andhewasrequiredtogototheUnitedStatesNavyafterhegothisdegree.Afterherecievedhis
degree,heservedintheUnitedStatesNavyforfouryearsandasalieutenant.Afterthefour
years,hehadanextendedyearbecauseoftheVietnamWar.InaninterviewofBobWoodward.
HewasquestionedwhathewasassignedintheNavy.Thiswashisanswer,Iwasfirstassigned
totheUSSWright,afloatingemergencyrelocationshipforPresidentJohnsoninthecaseof
nuclearwar.Iwasoneoftwoofficersorderedtobepresentifthetopsecretauthenticationcodes
fornuclearwarorderswerehandledortransferredinanyway.Hewasveryinvolvedandwas
assignedmanythingstodowhenhewasintheNavyforfouryear.
OnJuly,1972inWashington,D.C.,fivemenwerecaughtattemptingtowiretapphones
andstealsecretdocumentsattheWatergatebuilding.PresidentNIxonknewaboutitandtryto
coveritupandknewaboutitbeforeithadhappened.Hehaddestroyedevidence,firedstaff
membersandtrytostopinvestigatorstoinvestigatethecrime.Twojournalist,onewasBob
Woodwardandtheother,hispartner,wasCarlBernsteincrucialuncoveredconnectionsbetween
everything.Onsenate.gov,BobWoodwardandCarlBernstein,raisedquestionsandsuggested
connectionsbetweenNixonsreelectioncampaignandthemenawaitingtrialinfederaldistrict
court.Atfirst,therestorywasdeniedattheWhitehouse,butitwasthenacceptedwhenthey
sawthatallofwhattheyweresayingweretrue.BobwoodwardisthemostinfluentialAmerican
inhistoryintheUnitedStatesbecauseheisoneoftwopeoplewhohaduncoveredonofthemost
biggestpoliticalhistoryandbroughtdownPresidentNixonoutofoffice.

BobWoodwardwasthemostinfluentialpersoninhistoryofUnitedStates.Hewasin
ReserveOfficersTrainingCorpsincollege.Afterthat,hewasrequiredtogototheNavy.He
wasveryinvolvedintheNavy,hewasthelieutenantandhestayedintheNavyforfouryears.
HethenthoughtofgoingtoaLawschoolandfollowhisfathersfootstepofbecomingalawyer.
But,hefoundanotherinterest.HewasacceptedforthetwoweektryoutatattheWashington
Post.Hewasn'tgoodatitbuthelovedthejobanditwasacareerhewantedtopursue.Hisfather
wasn'tverysupportiveofhim,buthekeptgoing.He,then,foundabouttheWatergate
investigationcrime.HepartneredwithCarlBernstein,anotherjournalist.Theybothtriedtofind
connectiontotheinvestigationcrimetoPresidentNixon.Theyfoundmanythingsandtryto
sendittotheWhiteHouse.TheWhitehouserejectedit,butthentheyfoundoutallthatwas
writteninthestorywastrue.ThestoryleadNixonoutofoffice.BobWoodwardandCarl
BernsteinbecamebigandfamousforthatcaseanduncoveringtheWatergatescandal.