Marcus Moore, 68, pioneering journalist

Marcus Moore, 68, a pioneering African American journalist, died of kidney failure Saturday, May 2, in Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y.

Mr. Moore became one of the most accomplished news writers of his time. He began with his college paper at Haverford College and continued as a metro beat reporter for newspapers including the Bulletin. He then joined ABC's Good Morning America at its inception in 1975 as the first African American to write for the show, and worked for it for more than three decades.

Marcus Westley Moore was born in Baltimore and named for his father, a prominent thoracic surgeon. He had a resolutely independent streak, noticeable at Haverford when, as the sole black editor at the newspaper, published jointly with Bryn Mawr College, he penned a column titled "Here There Is No Life," which took the school to task for insularity. He was the only African American student in the Class of 1968 when he graduated. He subsequently earned a master's degree in education at Stanford University before beginning his career.

Mr. Moore started as a metro beat reporter (again, the only African American) for the Baltimore Evening Sun, and then went to similar assignments at the Bulletin and the Associated Press, where he was the only black newsman in its Washington office.

He subsequently wrote for anchors at the major networks. For CBS, he wrote extensively for Charles Kuralt, Diane Sawyer, and Paula Zahn. At ABC, he wrote for Peter Jennings on World News Tonight until Jennings stepped down in 2005.

Mr. Moore expressed disappointment that he never made the jump to on-air reporting or anchoring.

He left news several times for other ventures. Through his Great Bay Productions, he started The First Boston Report, a daily radio business news broadcast he sold to the advertising executive and investor Jerry Della Femina. As a freelancer, he wrote many cooking and food articles for the Washington Post.

In his last years, he assembled a team of journalists and commentators through Great Bay to offer syndicated radio segments on topics such as food, cooking, film, music, theater, television, and travel.

Just before his death, Mr. Moore lay in bed at a Croton-on-Hudson rehabilitation center watching the recent turmoil in Baltimore on TV. "It's right where I grew up," he said. "I was surprised when I went back. I thought it would all be gone. But it was still beautiful. They'd kept it up just like it was." He took in the words of network anchors that at another time he might have written.

Mr. Moore is survived by a sister.