Washington - Bill Monroe, who hosted the long-running Washington political television show "Meet the Press" for nearly a decade, died Thursday at a Washington-area nursing home.

Monroe, 90, was the NBC show's fourth moderator, from 1975 to 1984, and interviewed political figures ranging from President Jimmy Carter to U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.

Bill Monroe was born in New Orleans on July 17, 1920. He graduated from Tulane University, served in World War II and later began his career in television journalism in New Orleans. In 1961 he moved to Washington, where he became NBC's bureau chief. He worked on the "Today Show," winning the Peabody Award in 1972, and succeeded Lawrence Spivak as host of "Meet the Press" in 1975.

On his first day as the show's permanent moderator he interviewed Gov. George Wallace of Alabama, the segregationist who was at the time running for president.

"Have you personally changed your views about segregation?" Monroe asked.

When Wallace didn't respond directly, Monroe cut him off and repeated the question. Wallace began to stumble through his next response, and Monroe asked a third time. Wallace finally claimed that race relations were better in Alabama than other parts of the country.

Marvin Kalb, who with Roger Mudd co-hosted "Meet the Press" after Monroe left, called him a "consummate interviewer" and a "gracious host."

"I think fairness was the word that would best describe him as host," Kalb said.