Charles Bierbauer, a former veteran CNN correspondent and the founding dean of the University of South Carolina's College of Mass Communications and Information Studies, died on Friday at his home in North Carolina.
He was 83.
Bierbauer's journalism career spanned decades, covering radio, print and television.
He started his journalism career in his native Pennsylvania, later working for The Associated Press in Pittsburgh and ABC News as the network's Moscow bureau chief and correspondent.
Bierbauer spent two decades with CNN, covering domestic and international news, politics, the U.S. Supreme Court and presidential campaigns as a reporter, then senior correspondent. He also anchored a weekly show called Newsmaker Saturday.
He retired from CNN in 2001.
“Charles inspired me and helped me throughout my assignments at the Pentagon and the White House. He was a good friend, colleague, and mentor, and I will certainly miss him,” CNN Wolf Blitzer said in a statement provided to media.
Bierbauer moved to South Carolina, where, for 15 years, he was the dean of USC's journalism school. His obituary said it was a role he took great pride in.
His successor, Dean Tom Reichert called Bierbauer the "perfect former dean," who was instrumental in a multimillion-dollar fundraising and renovation effort to move the journalism school from the coliseum to its current location near the Horseshoe.
Reichert said Bierbauer put the program on the map.
"He really did lay a great foundation for where we are today, and I think of him all the time for that reason," Reichert said.
Josh Dawsey, a 2012 USC graduate and Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist now with The Wall Street Journal, said on X that Bierbauer was a "terrific mentor, friend, dean and human."
RIP to Charles Bierbauer, a terrific mentor, friend, dean and human. I can’t overstate his impact on my life as a student @uofsc and the lives of countless others. He was a smart, kind and incredibly insightful man I will miss very much: https://t.co/gRn5Jxn8Sa
— Josh Dawsey (@jdawsey1) August 31, 2025
Bierbauer was also a journalist with South Carolina ETV for more than two decades.
His voice was familiar to politicians and policy wonks as the longtime host of the station's public affairs shows, interviewing reporters, lawmakers and moderating election debates.
Aimee Crouch, ETV's director of transparency and public affairs and producer for This Week in South Carolina, said it was an honor to work under a "giant in journalism."
"What I'll remember most about Bierbauer was how cleverly witty he was and the passion he had for journalism students," said Crouch, Bierbauer's longtime producer at ETV.
President and CEO Adrienne Fairwell called Bierbauer a "trailblazing journalist and charismatic academic leader," who was also a "steadfast champion for public discourse in South Carolina."
"It was a privilege for SCETV to collaborate with him," Fairwell said. "His loss is deeply felt across our state, and his legacy will continue to inspire thoughtful journalism and informed conversation for generations to come.”
Bierbauer is survived by his wife, Susanne Schafer, a former longtime military affairs reporter for the AP. He is also survived by four children, several grandchildren and a great grandchild.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
