| BruneiTeam |

Tim Russert, who became one of America's leading political journalists as the host of NBC's "Meet the Press," died Friday, the network said. He was 58.

The network said the award-winning journalist collapsed at work Friday. He was taken to Washington's Sibley Memorial Hospital, where he died, the hospital confirmed.

Russert was born May 7, 1950, in Buffalo, New York. His parents were Timothy John Russert Sr., or "Big Russ," a newspaper truck driver and sanitation worker, and Elizabeth Russert.

He was a graduate of Canisius High School, John Carroll University and the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. He was a member of the bar in New York and the District of Columbia, according to a biography on CNBC.com

Before joining NBC, Russert served as press secretary for former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo and as chief of staff to Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan.

Russert joined the network in 1984 and quickly established himself as the face of the network's political coverage, eventually becoming senior vice president and Washington bureau chief of NBC news.

He was also the recipient of numerous awards for his work, including an Emmy in 2005 for his coverage of the funeral of President Ronald Reagan.

In 2008, TIME magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world. (Source CNN)