Bob Oakes
Former Staff
Bob Oakes was a senior correspondent in the WBUR newsroom, a role he took on in 2021 after nearly three decades hosting WBUR's Morning Edition. He is one of the most well-known and respected news people in New England, with a long career in radio broadcasting, including 10 years with Boston's all-news commercial radio station WEEI and coverage of national issues for the CBS Radio Network.
Recently published
One family's escape from the Fall of Saigon for the U.S.
The Truong Le family was one among tens of thousands to flee Vietnam in 1975 for a new life in America. They were lucky to get out alive.
The Marines from Massachusetts who were among the last to leave Saigon
Two Marines from Massachusetts — among the last remaining military service members in Saigon — recall the tense evacuation effort and how the city fell to communist forces in late...
Remembering the fallen 50 years after the close of the Vietnam War
Of the 58,220 U.S. military service members who died in Vietnam, more than 1,300 were from Massachusetts. These are the stories of the men who were among the first and...
Remembering Dan Payne, storied Mass. politico and WBUR analyst
I prefer to think of Dan now forever whispering sage advice into the ears of political figures and their advisers, says former WBUR host Bob Oakes. Or pulling up close,...
These fish are critical to New England, and they're disappearing
The fight to revive river herring and American eel populations has only yielded mixed results, and conservationists still don't fully understand why.
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Bob Oakes' playlist of tunes by jazz legend Harry Carney
Listen to the songs featured in our appreciation of Harry Carney's music and artistry on the baritone saxophone.
From back door gigs to Duke Ellington's Orchestra, Boston's Harry Carney made the saxophone sing
Carney is revered by many, if not most, baritone saxophone players as the “godfather” of the instrument. He could blow and hold notes on his saxophone like few other players...
How one Mass. school board got caught in the culture wars
School boards across the country are facing recalls and angry questions about everything from COVID restrictions to curriculum about racism. Even in Massachusetts, known for being one of the most...
Bob Oakes and his successor, Rupa Shenoy, talk about Boston and WBUR's Morning Edition host change
Oakes and Shenoy, the next host of WBUR's Morning Edition, discuss Oakes' hopes for his next opportunity — getting back to full-time reporting — and the colleagues' hopes for Shenoy...
Friday was Bob Oakes' last day as host of WBUR's Morning Edition. He'll return to reporting, his 'first love'
"To you, WBUR listeners, it has been a privilege to be your morning voice and to serve you each day. I have corresponded, emailed, spoken or met thousands of you...