Biography of Barbara Walters
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Television journalist. Born September 25, 1931, in Boston, Massachusetts. She was the daughter of nightclub impresario Lou Walters (owner of New York 's swanky Latin Quarter) and his wife, Dena. In 1937, Lou Walters expanded his business, which caused his family to adopt an itinerant lifestyle, moving from Boston to New York to Miami Beach.
Walters attended the all-female Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York, graduating in 1953 with a bachelor’s degree in English. Her first job was as the assistant to the publicity director of WRCA-TV (a local NBC affiliate). After sharpening her writing and producing skills at NBC, Walters moved to CBS, where she wrote material for the network’s Morning Show cast.
In 1961, Walters returned to NBC, where she was a researcher and writer for the popular Today show. Initially, she worked behind the scenes on news stories that were slanted toward female viewers. However, within a few months she was offered a breakthrough assignment that required her to travel to India and Pakistan with the then-first lady Jacqueline Kennedy.
By 1964, Walters became a staple at Today, earning the nickname “Today girl.” She remained on the show for 11 years, during which she honed her trademark (probing yet casual) interviewing technique. By 1972, she established herself as a competent journalist and was chosen to be part of the press core that accompanied President Nixon on his historic trip to China.
Enticed by an unprecedented $1 million annual salary, Walters accepted a job at ABC. She debuted as the first woman coanchor of a network evening news program in October 1976. Walters’ male colleagues were openly critical of her position and salary. Among the most outspoken were Walter Cronkite and Walters’ own ABC coanchor Harry Reasoner. Critics also remained skeptical of Walters’ validity as a credible journalist. Furthermore, because of her
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Television journalist. Born September 25, 1931, in Boston, Massachusetts. She was the daughter of nightclub impresario Lou Walters (owner of New York 's swanky Latin Quarter) and his wife, Dena. In 1937, Lou Walters expanded his business, which caused his family to adopt an itinerant lifestyle, moving from Boston to New York to Miami Beach.
Walters attended the all-female Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York, graduating in 1953 with a bachelor’s degree in English. Her first job was as the assistant to the publicity director of WRCA-TV (a local NBC affiliate). After sharpening her writing and producing skills at NBC, Walters moved to CBS, where she wrote material for the network’s Morning Show cast.
In 1961, Walters returned to NBC, where she was a researcher and writer for the popular Today show. Initially, she worked behind the scenes on news stories that were slanted toward female viewers. However, within a few months she was offered a breakthrough assignment that required her to travel to India and Pakistan with the then-first lady Jacqueline Kennedy.
By 1964, Walters became a staple at Today, earning the nickname “Today girl.” She remained on the show for 11 years, during which she honed her trademark (probing yet casual) interviewing technique. By 1972, she established herself as a competent journalist and was chosen to be part of the press core that accompanied President Nixon on his historic trip to China.
Enticed by an unprecedented $1 million annual salary, Walters accepted a job at ABC. She debuted as the first woman coanchor of a network evening news program in October 1976. Walters’ male colleagues were openly critical of her position and salary. Among the most outspoken were Walter Cronkite and Walters’ own ABC coanchor Harry Reasoner. Critics also remained skeptical of Walters’ validity as a credible journalist. Furthermore, because of her