Barbara Walters is a famed broadcast journalist and television personality. She was known for being the first female co-anchor of a network evening news program. Her trademark interviewing style made her even more popular with viewers.

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Key Facts & Information

EARLY LIFE AND FAMILY

• Barbara Jill Walters was born on September 25, 1929, in Boston, Massachusetts.
• She is the daughter of Dena Seletsky and Louis “Lou” Edward Walters.
• Barbara had two older siblings named Jacqueline, who was born developmentally disabled and died in 1985 because of ovarian cancer, and Burton, her brother, died of pneumonia in 1932.
• Her father, who was also known as Lou Walters, worked as a Broadway producer and the Entertainment Director for the Tropicana Resort and Casino, which exposed her to famous celebrities.
• Barbara changed schools numerous times due to her family’s relocation. She has attended both public and private schools.
• She attended Ethical Culture Fieldston School and Birch Wathen Lenox School, both private schools in New York City.

WALTERS’ PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP

• Robert Henry Katz, a former Navy lieutenant, and business executive was the first husband of Barbara Walters. They married on June 20, 1955, at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. Unfortunately, they divorced in 1957, and their marriage was annulled in 1958.
• Barbara’s second husband is Lee Guber, a theatrical producer and theater owner. They married on December 8, 1963, and adopted a child in 1968. 
• Their daughter, Jacqueline Dena Guber, was named after Walters’ mother and sister. After 13 years of marriage, Lee and Barbara divorced in 1976 when their daughter was just eight.
• Her third marriage was to Merv Adelson, the CEO of Lorimar Television, in 1981. The pair ended up divorcing in 1984. Then, in 1986, they attempted to rekindle their relationship and married for the second time. However, they ended up splitting again in 1992.

IMPORTANT EVENTS IN WALTERS’ LIFE

• After college, Barbara moved to New York City to look for work. She landed her first job in journalism as the assistant to publicity director and Republican activist Tex McCary of WRCA-TV. Her work experience at the NBC network affiliate sharpened her writing and producing skills.
• 1953 – She produced a 15-minute children’s program, ‘Ask the Camera,’ directed by Roone Arledge.
• 1955 – Walters became a writer for ‘The Morning Show at CBS. She joined Tex McCrary Inc. as a publicist and then worked for a few years as a writer at the ‘Redbook’ magazine.
• 1961 – Barbara joined NBC’s ‘The Today Show’ as a writer and researcher, then became the show’s regular ‘Today Girl.
• 1974 – She began developing and writing her reports and interviews despite the traditions of that era. Then, she became the first female co-host of ‘The Today Show.’
• 1976 – Walters worked with Harry Reasoner as a co-anchor on the ‘ABC Evening News. In the same year, she served as a commentator on news specials like presidential inaugurations and moderator for presidential debate between challenger Jimmy Carter and incumbent President Gerald Ford.
• 1976 – The first series of Barbara Walters Specials was launched. The initial interview program featured President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter.
• 1977 – Walters conducted the first joint interview with Egypt’s President, Anwar Al Sadat, and Israel’s Prime Minister, Menachem Begin.
• 1979 – She joined the ABC news magazine ’20/20’, and became a regular special contributor by 1981, wherein she had a great working relationship with Hugh Downs.
• 1997 – Walters launched The View, a mid-morning talk show for which she is co-executive producer and co-host. The program features unique perspectives from five women on politics, family, careers, and general public-interest topics.
• 2000 – She renewed her contract with ABC News for five more years. Her reported $12 million yearly salary made her the highest-paid news host in history.
• 2004 – At the age of 73, she stepped down as co-host of 20/20.
• 2014 – Walters announced her retirement.

AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

• 1975 – Walters received the National Association of Television Program Executives Award and was named the International Radio and Television Society’s Broadcaster of the Year. She has also received several Daytime Emmy Awards, including one for Outstanding Talk Show Host of “Today.”
• 1988 – She was honored with the President’s Award by the Overseas Press Club and was given a retrospective at the Museum of Broadcasting.
• 1990 – Inducted into the Television Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame and received the Lowell Thomas Award for journalistic excellence.
• 1991 – The Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Women’s Media Foundation.
• 1998 – Walters was awarded the Lucy Award for her excellence and innovation in her creative works that have improved women’s perceptions through the medium of television.
• 2000 – Received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
• 2007 – Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
• 2008 – Received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 30th Annual News and Documentary Emmy Awards.

OTHER INTERESTING FACTS

• In 1976, a five-million-dollar contract was offered to Walters, which she accepted as she moved to ABC. Then, she became the first network anchorwoman, considered the most prestigious job in television journalism.
• In 1995, Walters conducted the first interview with Christopher Reeve after the horseback-riding accident that left him paralyzed. The following April, the broadcast received the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award.
• In 1999, Walters had an exclusive interview with a former White House intern named Monica Lewinsky, which lasted for two long hours. It made broadcasting history as the highest-rated news program ever broadcast on a single network.
• Her specialty is personality journalism, and she has had the distinction of interviewing several world leaders, including the Shah of Iran, Russia’s Boris Yeltsin, China’s Jiang Semin, Libya’s Muammar al-Gaddafi, and India’s Indira Gandhi.
• Walters has conducted timely interviews with world leaders, providing viewers with a three-dimensional view of these larger-than-life personalities. They include the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi; the U.K.’s first woman prime minister, Margaret Thatcher; the Dalai Lama; Russia’s first post-communist president, Boris Yeltsin; and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
• She worked as the co-host and producer of the television news magazine ‘20/20’ for 25 years, from 1979 to 2004.
• Walters was bestowed honorary doctorates by Ben-Gurion University in Jerusalem, Hofstra University, Marymount College, Ohio State University, Sarah Lawrence College, Temple University, and Wheaton College.
• Barbara Walters was nominated for 33 Daytime Emmy Awards, of which she won three; 19 News and Documentary Emmy Awards, of which she won seven; and 19 Primetime Emmy Awards, of which she won one.

Barbara Walters Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about Barbara Walters across 24 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching kids about Barbara Walters, a famed broadcast journalist and television personality.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

1. Barbara Walters Facts 
2. Who Am I?
3. Spotting Lies
4. The Life of Barbara 
5. Journey to Remember
6. Women in Power
7. Mind Map
8. A Great Journalist
9. The Things I Can Do
10. Open Mic
11. Video Analysis

Frequently Asked Questions

When did Barbara Walters do 10 Most Fascinating People?

Each year, renowned media figure Barbara Walters compiled a list of the most inspiring and influential people in entertainment, sports, politics, and popular culture for her annual ABC broadcast: 10 Most Fascinating People. From 1993 to 2015, viewers were enthralled by sensational stories about these ten remarkable individuals on each season’s second Thursday of December.

Why is Barbara Walters influential?

Barbara Walters was the first female co-anchor of a network evening news program in 1976. She worked with Harry Reasoner on ABC’s Evening News. She was an inspirational advocate for women throughout her career, working as a correspondent, producer, and co-host on ABC’s 20/20 magazine from 1979 until 2004.

Did Barbara Walters have dementia?

As Walters aged, she began to struggle with dementia. Though her presence in public had not been seen since 2016, the impact of her career and life continued to spark inspiration for up-and-coming journalists until the day of her passing on December 30th, 2022.

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