Herbert Morrison
Herbert Morrison (May 12, 1905 – January 10, 1989) was an American journalist whose charged radio report on the Hindenburg disaster is recognized as a landmark in broadcasting. Decades on from his 1937 report, he became the first news director at Pennsylvania's television station WTAE-TV. The writer Craig M. Allen describes him as "an early pioneer of both radio and television news". Native to Pennsylvania, Morrison joined the WLS radio station around the 1930s. When the airship Hindenburg was set to conclude its maiden US trip of 1937 in Lakehurst, New Jersey, he was sent there to report on its planned landing. He brought with him new, unusual recording equipment. As the airship neared the landing ground, it burst into flames, and Morrison's report turned emotional. He hyperventilated and wept, crying, "Oh, the humanity" out of grief for the lives lost, a phrase that has since been assimilated into popular culture. Morrison's report aired on WLS the following day, and parts of it featured on NBC. NBC had never broadcast a recording before but made an exception for Morrison's firsthand account. Millions around the world eventually heard it. The broadcast is credited, in part, with drawing much attention to the Hindenburg disaster compared with other calamities of that time. An early example of emergency, as-it-happened reporting, it altered how the relationship between the radio and news is understood. Morrison's work as a journalist continued for several decades. His broadcast influenced the production of Orson Welles' radio drama "The War of the Worlds" and was featured in the 1975 film The Hindenburg. |
Birth and Death Data: Born Connellsville (city in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States), Died January 10, 1989 (Morgantown (city in and county seat of Monongalia County, West Virginia, United States) )
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1937
Roles Represented in DAHR: speaker
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia | C1916 | 10-in. | 6/2/1937 | The crash of the Hindenburg | Herbert Morrison | Announcement | speaker | |
| Columbia | C1917 | 10-in. | 6/2/1937 | The crash of the Hindenburg | Herbert Morrison | Announcement | speaker |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Morrison, Herbert," accessed December 25, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/332676.
Morrison, Herbert. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 25, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/332676.
"Morrison, Herbert." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 25 December 2025.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Morrison, Herb - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n2004116894
Wikidata: Herbert Morrison - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1231332
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/14168582
MusicBrainz: Herbert Morrison - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/e924903d-aea1-4625-9822-6f71188dc846
Fast: https://id.worldcat.org/fast/505011 - https://id.worldcat.org/fast/505011
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