Long-time Falls Church City resident and renowned television and radio political news correspondent Herbert E. Kaplow died on Saturday, July 27, having suffering a stroke the Sunday before and never regaining consciousness. He was 86.

Kaplow worked as a broadcast correspondent since his graduation in 1951 from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. He spent 20 years with NBC News reporting on the civil rights movement from the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Brown case in 1954 to school desegregation dating back to the Little Rock confrontation in 1957, reporting from the scene there and in other cities.

Kaplow covered 10 political convention since the 1950s, and several presidents, as well. In 1958, he traveled with then-Vice President Richard Nixon on his Latin American tour. During the 1960s, Kaplow covered Nixon again, this time on the campaign trail for the California governor’s seat, then for president. In the early 1970s, he became a senior political correspondent for ABC Radio News. He covered the Nuremburg trials and the Cuban revolution.

Kaplow won numerous awards, including a 1983 Unity Awards for his involvement in the ABC Radio reports, “The Kennedy Years,” and “The Dream Revisited,” a special report marking the 20th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington, an Emmy award for the ABC series, “Directions,” and for his role in the PBS’ “Religious Newsmakers” series in 1997. He is a member of the Medill alumni Hall of Achievement.

Living for many years in Falls Church with his wife, Betty Rae, and the couple had three sons, Steven, Bobby and Larry. He is also survived by Naomi Michael, Charlotte Kaplow, Kate Kaplow and Margaret Kaplow, grandchildren Alexandra, Sara and her husband Nicholas McClusky, Madeline Maxwell, Molly and Sadie Lou.

Kaplow shared his professional experiences on numerous occasions with students in the local school system, moderated local political debates sponsored by the Falls Church League of Women Voters and was highlighted in a lengthy interview in the News-Press in 1999.

He was born in New York and graduated from Flushing High School and Queens College, New York, before serving in the Army and entering the Medill School at Northwestern.

A funeral service was scheduled to be held Wednesday, July 31, at the Temple Rodef Shalom, followed by a burial at the King David Cemetery. The family will be receiving friends at the residence of Steven Kaplow, 702 Hillwood Ave., Falls Church, on Thursday, Aug. 1 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Capital Caring hospice services at their Resource Development Department, 29800 Telestar Ct., Falls Church, VA 22042 and Temple Rodef Shalom’s Senior Cantor’s Discretionary Fund at 2100 Westmoreland St., Falls Church, VA 22043.