In the early 1950s, Howe was an associate professor of journalism and communications at the University of Illinois.<ref>{{cite news|title=Lloyd Morey|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5555825/freeport_journalstandard/|work=Freeport Journal-Standard|date=January 20, 1954|location=Illinois, Freeport|page=13}}</ref>
Howe moderated the first ever televised Presidentialprimary debate in 1956, between [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] candidates [[Adlai Stevenson II|Adlai Stevenson]] and [[Estes Kefauver]]. He also moderate the fourth and final [[John F. Kennedy|Kennedy]]/[[Richard Nixon|Nixon]] debate on October 21, 1960, which had the topic of foreign affairs.<ref>{{Cite web|title=CPD: 1960 Debates|url=https://www.debates.org/debate-history/1960-debates/#oct-21-1960|access-date=2020-10-29|website=www.debates.org}}</ref> Howe retired from broadcasting in 1974. He died from [[laryngeal cancer|cancer of the larynx]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1977/02/18/archives/quincy-howe-newscaster-dies-long-a-defender-of-civil-liberties.html|title=Quincy Howe, Newscaster, Dies; Long a Defender of Civil Liberties|last=Hess|first=John L.|date=1977-02-18|work=The New York Times|access-date=2020-01-07|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
