Bill Monroe.(Obituary)

Bill Monroe, who hosted the long-running Washington political television show "Meet the Press" for nearly a decade, died Thursday in Potomac, Md., from complications of hypertension. He was 90.

Monroe was the NBC show's fourth moderator, from 1975-84, and interviewed prominent political figures ranging from President Jimmy Carter to U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. Tim Russert assumed the host's chair in 1991 after a series of short stints by others following Monroe's departure.

Born in New Orleans, he graduated from Tulane U., served in WWII with the U.S. Army Air Forces in Europe and later began his career in TV journalism at New Orleans' NBC affiliate, …