Ann Curry
Encyclopedia
Ann Curry is an American
television
news journalist
and co-anchor on NBC's
morning television program Today. She is the former news anchor on Today, a role she began in March 1997, and was the host of Dateline NBC
from 2005-2011.
Curry is a Board Member at the IWMF (International Women's Media Foundation).
to Bob Curry, of French, Irish, and Dutch
descent from Pueblo, Colorado
, and Hiroe Nagase, originally from Japan
. Her American father, a career Navy
man, met her mother during the U.S. occupation of Japan following the Second World War. The U.S. military initially did not allow the marriage, but her father returned to Japan two years later to marry Nagase.
Curry lived in Japan for several years as a child, attending the Ernest J. King School on the military base in Sasebo. Later she moved to Ashland, Oregon
, where she graduated from Ashland High School
. In 1978, she graduated with a BA in Journalism from the University of Oregon
.
Curry is married to software executive Brian Ross, whom she met in college. They have a daughter, McKenzie, and a son, William Walker Curry Ross. The family lives in the Gramercy Park
neighborhood of New York City
.
in Medford, Oregon
. There she rose to become the station's first female news reporter. In 1980, Curry moved to NBC-affiliate KGW
in Portland
, where she was a reporter and anchor.
Four years later, Curry moved to Los Angeles
as a reporter for KCBS-TV
and received two Emmy Awards while working as a reporter from 1984 to 1990.
In 1990, Curry joined NBC News, first as the NBC News Chicago correspondent then as the anchor of NBC News at Sunrise
from 1991 to 1996. Curry also served as a substitute news anchor for Matt Lauer
from 1994 to 1997 at Today. From 1997 to 2011, she served as news anchor at Today, being the show's second-longest serving news anchor, behind Frank Blair, who served in that capacity from 1953 to 1975. During this time, she also served as a substitute anchor for Today. In May 2005, Curry was named co-anchor of Dateline NBC
with Stone Phillips
; she remained as the primary anchor when Phillips left in June 2007 and has since moved off the show after replacing Meredith Viera on Today in 2011.
Curry has been known at NBC News for anchoring three of the four major broadcasts. She has read the news on The Today Show since March 11, 1997, she has anchored Dateline NBC
. From 2005 to 2011, she was the primary substitute on NBC Nightly News
. In 2007, after Lester Holt took over weekend editions (Holt had previously been the primary substitute but left that position to become weekend anchor, giving Curry the position), there have even been days when Curry has anchored all three broadcasts in one day. A segment on Today, Ann on the Run, follows Curry around a day where she must read the news on Today, tape Dateline, and fill in live for Brian Williams
on Nightly News
.
Curry is known for her international reporting of major stories, filing stories from places such as Baghdad
, Sri Lanka
, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda
, Albania
, and Darfur
. Curry hosted NBC's primetime coverage and highlights of the Live Earth
concerts on July 7, 2007 and also contributed with interviews for the special with New York City
Mayor
Michael Bloomberg
and Al Gore
. Curry reported from the during the invasion of Afghanistan
in November 2001, and had an exclusive interview with General Tommy Franks
. She reported from Baghdad in early 2003, and then from the as the war in Iraq
began. Ann was also the first network news anchor to report from inside the Southeast Asian tsunami zone in late 2004.
On December 17, 2007, Curry bungee jumped off the world famous Transporter Bridge
in Middlesbrough
, England
to raise money for charity. Her jump was shown live on the Today show at about 8:13 am. During a February 4, 2008 appearance as a guest on NBC's Late Night with Conan O'Brien
, asked if she would ever bungee jump again, Curry said she would if O'Brien would jump with her.
Ann Curry replaced Meredith Vieira
as co-host on June 9, 2011, with national correspondent Natalie Morales
replacing Curry as news reader.
In 2011, Ann Curry appeared in the first PBS Kids Sprout
"Kindness Counts" PSA
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
news journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and co-anchor on NBC's
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
morning television program Today. She is the former news anchor on Today, a role she began in March 1997, and was the host of Dateline NBC
Dateline NBC
Dateline NBC, or Dateline, is a U.S. weekly television newsmagazine broadcast by NBC. It previously was NBC's flagship news magazine, but now focuses on true crime stories. It airs Friday at 9 p.m. EST and after football season on Sunday at 7 p.m. EST.-History:Dateline is historically notable for...
from 2005-2011.
Curry is a Board Member at the IWMF (International Women's Media Foundation).
Biography
Curry was born in GuamGuam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
to Bob Curry, of French, Irish, and Dutch
Dutch-Americans
A Dutch American is an American of Dutch descent.Following the exploration of the American East Coast by Henry Hudson on behalf of the Dutch East India Company in 1609, Dutch settlement in the Americas started in 1613...
descent from Pueblo, Colorado
Pueblo, Colorado
Pueblo is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pueblo County, Colorado, United States. The population was 106,595 in 2010 census, making it the 246th most populous city in the United States....
, and Hiroe Nagase, originally from Japan
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
. Her American father, a career Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
man, met her mother during the U.S. occupation of Japan following the Second World War. The U.S. military initially did not allow the marriage, but her father returned to Japan two years later to marry Nagase.
Curry lived in Japan for several years as a child, attending the Ernest J. King School on the military base in Sasebo. Later she moved to Ashland, Oregon
Ashland, Oregon
Ashland is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States, near Interstate 5 and the California border, and located in the south end of the Rogue Valley. It was named after Ashland County, Ohio, point of origin of Abel Helman and other founders, and secondarily for Ashland, Kentucky, where other...
, where she graduated from Ashland High School
Ashland High School (Oregon)
Ashland High School is public high school in Ashland, Oregon, United States near the Southern Oregon University campus.-Academics:In 2008, 81% of the school's seniors received their high school diploma. Of 296 students, 239 graduated, 53 dropped out, 1 received a modified diploma, and 3 are still...
. In 1978, she graduated with a BA in Journalism from the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
.
Curry is married to software executive Brian Ross, whom she met in college. They have a daughter, McKenzie, and a son, William Walker Curry Ross. The family lives in the Gramercy Park
Gramercy Park
Gramercy Park is a small, fenced-in private park in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park is at the core of both the neighborhood referred to as either Gramercy or Gramercy Park and the Gramercy Park Historic District...
neighborhood of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Professional career
Curry began her broadcasting career in 1978 as an intern at then, NBC-affiliate, now CBS-affiliate KTVLKTVL
KTVL, channel 10 is a CBS television affiliate based in Medford, Oregon and broadcasts from a transmitter high atop Mount Ashland, 15 miles south of the city. The station covers eight counties in southern Oregon and northern California. The studios are located on Rossanley Drive in northwest...
in Medford, Oregon
Medford, Oregon
Medford is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 US Census, the city had a total population of 74,907 and a metropolitan area population of 207,010, making the Medford MSA the 4th largest metro area in Oregon...
. There she rose to become the station's first female news reporter. In 1980, Curry moved to NBC-affiliate KGW
KGW
KGW is an NBC affiliate television station serving the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area. The station broadcasts its digital signal on VHF channel 8, from its transmitter in Portland. It also produces segments and serves as the Portland bureau for Northwest Cable News , which is also owned by...
in Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, where she was a reporter and anchor.
Four years later, Curry moved to Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
as a reporter for KCBS-TV
KCBS-TV
KCBS-TV, channel 2, is an owned-and-operated television station of the CBS Television Network, located in Los Angeles, California. KCBS-TV shares its offices and studio facilities with sister station KCAL-TV inside CBS Studio Center in the Studio City section of Los Angeles, and its transmitter...
and received two Emmy Awards while working as a reporter from 1984 to 1990.
In 1990, Curry joined NBC News, first as the NBC News Chicago correspondent then as the anchor of NBC News at Sunrise
NBC News at Sunrise
NBC News at Sunrise was an early morning news program produced by NBC News from 1983 to 1999. The program featured the top news headlines of the morning, sports and weather reports, and business segments. Many of the program's anchors also appeared on The Today Show...
from 1991 to 1996. Curry also served as a substitute news anchor for Matt Lauer
Matt Lauer
Matthew Todd "Matt" Lauer . is an American television journalist best known as the host of NBC's The Today Show since 1997. He was previously a news anchor in New York and a local talk-show host in Boston, Philadelphia, Providence and Richmond...
from 1994 to 1997 at Today. From 1997 to 2011, she served as news anchor at Today, being the show's second-longest serving news anchor, behind Frank Blair, who served in that capacity from 1953 to 1975. During this time, she also served as a substitute anchor for Today. In May 2005, Curry was named co-anchor of Dateline NBC
Dateline NBC
Dateline NBC, or Dateline, is a U.S. weekly television newsmagazine broadcast by NBC. It previously was NBC's flagship news magazine, but now focuses on true crime stories. It airs Friday at 9 p.m. EST and after football season on Sunday at 7 p.m. EST.-History:Dateline is historically notable for...
with Stone Phillips
Stone Phillips
Stone Stockton Phillips is an American television reporter and correspondent. He is the former co-anchor of Dateline NBC, a newsmagazine TV show. He also has worked as a substitute anchor for NBC Nightly News and Today and as a substitute moderator on Meet the Press. He is known for his clear...
; she remained as the primary anchor when Phillips left in June 2007 and has since moved off the show after replacing Meredith Viera on Today in 2011.
Curry has been known at NBC News for anchoring three of the four major broadcasts. She has read the news on The Today Show since March 11, 1997, she has anchored Dateline NBC
Dateline NBC
Dateline NBC, or Dateline, is a U.S. weekly television newsmagazine broadcast by NBC. It previously was NBC's flagship news magazine, but now focuses on true crime stories. It airs Friday at 9 p.m. EST and after football season on Sunday at 7 p.m. EST.-History:Dateline is historically notable for...
. From 2005 to 2011, she was the primary substitute on NBC Nightly News
NBC Nightly News
NBC Nightly News is the flagship daily evening television news program for NBC News and broadcasts. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is located in the center...
. In 2007, after Lester Holt took over weekend editions (Holt had previously been the primary substitute but left that position to become weekend anchor, giving Curry the position), there have even been days when Curry has anchored all three broadcasts in one day. A segment on Today, Ann on the Run, follows Curry around a day where she must read the news on Today, tape Dateline, and fill in live for Brian Williams
Brian Williams
Brian Douglas Williams is the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News, the evening news program of the NBC television network, a position he assumed in 2004...
on Nightly News
NBC Nightly News
NBC Nightly News is the flagship daily evening television news program for NBC News and broadcasts. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is located in the center...
.
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
, Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
, and Darfur
Darfur
Darfur is a region in western Sudan. An independent sultanate for several hundred years, it was incorporated into Sudan by Anglo-Egyptian forces in 1916. The region is divided into three federal states: West Darfur, South Darfur, and North Darfur...
. Curry hosted NBC's primetime coverage and highlights of the Live Earth
Live Earth
-Background:Founded by Emmy-winning producer Kevin Wall, in partnership with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, Live Earth was built upon the belief that entertainment has the power to transcend social and cultural barriers to move the world community to action...
concerts on July 7, 2007 and also contributed with interviews for the special with New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Rubens Bloomberg is the current Mayor of New York City. With a net worth of $19.5 billion in 2011, he is also the 12th-richest person in the United States...
and Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
. Curry reported from the during the invasion of Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
in November 2001, and had an exclusive interview with General Tommy Franks
Tommy Franks
Tommy Ray Franks is a retired general in the United States Army. His last Army post was as the Commander of the United States Central Command, overseeing United States Armed Forces operations in a 25-country region, including the Middle East...
. She reported from Baghdad in early 2003, and then from the as the war in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
began. Ann was also the first network news anchor to report from inside the Southeast Asian tsunami zone in late 2004.
On December 17, 2007, Curry bungee jumped off the world famous Transporter Bridge
Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge
The Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge or Tees Transporter Bridge is the furthest downstream bridge across the River Tees, England. It connects Middlesbrough, on the south bank, to Port Clarence, on the north bank. It is a transporter bridge, carrying a travelling 'car', or 'gondola', suspended from...
in Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to raise money for charity. Her jump was shown live on the Today show at about 8:13 am. During a February 4, 2008 appearance as a guest on NBC's Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
, asked if she would ever bungee jump again, Curry said she would if O'Brien would jump with her.
Ann Curry replaced Meredith Vieira
Meredith Vieira
Meredith Louise Vieira is an American journalist, television personality, and game show host. She is best known for her roles as the original moderator of the ABC talk program The View and co-host of the long-running NBC News morning news program, Today...
as co-host on June 9, 2011, with national correspondent Natalie Morales
Natalie Morales
Natalie Leticia Morales is the news anchor for NBC's Today.-Career:Morales was an anchor and correspondent for MSNBC from 2002 to 2006...
replacing Curry as news reader.
In 2011, Ann Curry appeared in the first PBS Kids Sprout
PBS KIDS Sprout
PBS Kids Sprout is a U.S. digital cable television channel, video-on-demand service, and website providing PBS Kids shows and original programming for preschoolers and their families...
"Kindness Counts" PSA
Public service announcement
A public service announcement or public service ad is a type of advertisement featured on television, radio, print or other media...
.
Volunteerism
- Multiple Myeloma Research FoundationMultiple Myeloma Research FoundationThe Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation is a charitable organization dedicated to multiple myeloma, an incurable but treatable blood cancer, which afflicts over fifty thousand Americans alone...
- Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer FoundationSusan G. Komen for the CureSusan G. Komen for the Cure, formerly known as The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, often referred to as simply Komen, is the most widely known, largest and best-funded breast cancer organization in the US....
- AmericaresAmeriCaresAmeriCares is a non-profit disaster relief and humanitarian aid organization providing immediate response to emergency medical needs and supporting long-term health care initiatives for people in the United States and around the world. Since its founding in 1982, AmeriCares has provided more than...
- Save the ChildrenSave the ChildrenSave the Children is an internationally active non-governmental organization that enforces children's rights, provides relief and helps support children in developing countries...
- Médecins Sans FrontièresMédecins Sans Frontières' , or Doctors Without Borders, is a secular humanitarian-aid non-governmental organization best known for its projects in war-torn regions and developing countries facing endemic diseases. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland...
- Airline Ambassadors
- BuildonBuildonbuildOn is an international nonprofit organization that runs youth service afterschool programs in United States high schools, and builds schools in developing countries...
Awards
- Emmy AwardEmmy AwardAn Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
s, presented for coverage of the 1987 Los Angeles earthquake; another presented for reporting on the explosion of a San BernardinoSan Bernardino, CaliforniaSan Bernardino is a city located in the Riverside-San Bernardino metropolitan area , and serves as the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States...
gas pipeline, and a third in 2007 for her reporting on NBC Nightly NewsNBC Nightly NewsNBC Nightly News is the flagship daily evening television news program for NBC News and broadcasts. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is located in the center...
about the DarfurDarfurDarfur is a region in western Sudan. An independent sultanate for several hundred years, it was incorporated into Sudan by Anglo-Egyptian forces in 1916. The region is divided into three federal states: West Darfur, South Darfur, and North Darfur...
crisis. - Golden Mic (4), presented by Radio & Television News Association of Southern California (RTNA)
- Certificate of Excellence, Associated PressAssociated PressThe Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
- Gracie Award, presented by The Foundation of American Women in Radio and Television
- Excellence in Reporting, presented by the NAACP
- National Journalism Award, presented by the Asian American Journalists AssociationAsian American Journalists AssociationThe Asian American Journalists Association was founded in 1981 by several Asian American journalists who felt a need to support greater participation by Asian Americans in the news media.Its goals are:...
, 2003 - Pioneer Award, presented by University of Oregon, 2003
- Hall of Achievement induction, University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication, 2002
- Sexiest Newscaster and "Hottest MILF Newscaster" as voted on by readers of Ask Men magazine
- Common Wealth Award of Distinguished ServiceCommon Wealth Award of Distinguished ServiceThe Common Wealth Awards of Distinguished Service were created under the will of the late Ralph Hayes, an influential American business executive and philanthropist. Hayes conceived the awards to reward and encourage the best of human performance worldwide. Hayes served on the board of directors...
, presented by PNC Bank for outstanding achievements in mass communications, 2008 - Honorary Doctorate in Journalism from Southern Oregon UniversitySouthern Oregon Universityis a public liberal arts college located in Ashland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1926, it was formerly known as Southern Oregon College and Southern Oregon State College . SOU offers criminology, natural sciences, including environmental science, Shakespearean studies and theatre arts programs...
on 6/5/2010 after giving the commencement address - Curry received an honorary degree from Providence CollegeProvidence CollegeProvidence College is a private, coeducational, Catholic university located about two miles west of downtown Providence, Rhode Island, United States, the state's capital city. With a 2010–2011 enrollment of 3,850 undergraduate students and 735 graduate students, the College specializes in academic...
in Providence, Rhode Island on May 16, 2010. - She received an honorary doctorate from the Wheaton College in Norton, MassachusettsWheaton College (Massachusetts)Wheaton College is a four-year, private liberal arts college with an approximate student body of 1,550. Wheaton's residential campus is located in Norton, Massachusetts, between Boston, Massachusetts and Providence, Rhode Island. Founded in 1834 as a female seminary, it is one of the oldest...
on May 22, 2010. There she delivered the graduation keynote address. However, she gaffed as she cited several famous alumni, only one of which graduated from that college. The others graduated from the Wheaton College near ChicagoWheaton College (Illinois)Wheaton College is a private, evangelical Protestant liberal arts college in Wheaton, Illinois, a suburb west of Chicago in the United States...
. Curry apologized for the gaffe.
Funded scholarship
- Ann Curry Scholarship for University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication Broadcasting Students, 2002