Who is Brian Williams? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Also Known As: Brian Douglas Williams

Age: 65 Years, 65 Year Old Males

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Jane Stoddard Williams (m. 1986)

father: Gordon L. Williams

children: Allison Williams

TV Anchors Journalists

Notable Alumni: Brookdale Community College

Ancestry: Irish American

U.S. State: New Jersey

City: Ridgewood, New Jersey

More Facts

education: George Washington University, Brookdale Community College

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1

Has Brian Williams ever been involved in any controversies?

Yes, Brian Williams faced controversy in 2015 after it was revealed that he had exaggerated his experiences during a news report.
2

Does Brian Williams have a background in journalism?

Yes, Brian Williams has a strong background in journalism and worked as the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News for many years.
3

Is Brian Williams active on social media?

Yes, Brian Williams is active on social media platforms like Twitter, where he shares updates and insights on current events.
4

What is Brian Williams' educational background?

Brian Williams attended George Washington University but did not graduate. He later received an honorary doctorate from the university.

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Childhood & Early Life

Brian Williams was born in New Jersey to Gordon Williams and his wife Dorothy. His father was an executive vice president of the National Retail Merchants Association, New York. He has two brothers and one sister.

He attended the Mater Dei High School, New Jersey. As a high school student, he volunteered as a firefighter with the local fire department for three years.

He went to Brookdale Community College after high school. Later he attended The Catholic University of America and The George Washington University. But, he left college mid-term and did not graduate.

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Career

After dropping out of college, he worked in the White House as an intern during the administration of President Jimmy Carter. Later he worked as assistant administrator of the political action committee of the National Association of Broadcasters in Washington.

His broadcasting career began in 1981 when he got a job with KOAM-TV in Pittsburg. After that he worked at various local stations in Philadelphia and New York before being appointed by the CBS station.

In 1993, he left CBS and joined NBC News as a correspondent. The very next year he became NBC’s chief White House correspondent. He gained considerable visibility in the public eye when he anchored the show ‘The News with Brian Williams’ aired on MSNBC.

He took over as the anchor of the ‘Nightly News’, the flagship daily evening news program on NBC in 2004 when the previous anchor Tom Brokaw retired. This marked a very significant point in his career.

Williams was chosen to host NBC’s new weekly newsmagazine broadcast ‘Rock Center with Brian Williams’ that went on air in October 2011.

He has also made frequent television appearances on shows like ‘The Daily show’, ‘Late Night with Jimmy Fallon’, ‘30 Rock’, etc. He has appeared on the ‘Late Show with David Letterman’ in spite of the fact that it is aired by a competing network, CBS.

Major Works

He is most popular as the anchor of the ‘NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams’, the most watched news program in the U.S. He was especially appreciated for his coverage of the Asian Tsunami (2004) and live spot reporting during Hurricane Katrina (2005) which won him awards and accolades from industry experts.

He is the host of ‘Rock Center with Brian Williams’, a weekly newsmagazine broadcast by NBC that is also shown on MSNBC. This is NBC’s first prime time newsmagazine launch in nearly two decades. The first episode was broadcast in October 2011.

Awards & Achievements

Williams won the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award (2006) for his live reporting in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The Peabody committee concluded that he "Exemplified the highest levels of journalistic excellence in reporting on Hurricane Katrina."

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He won the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism in 2009. The award is presented to a leading figure in journalism each year by the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University.

He is also the recipient of The Edward Murrow Award which is given to prominent journalists by the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University. He has won this award 11 times so far.

He has won 12 Emmy Awards which are presented in recognition of excellence in American primetime and daytime entertainment programming in several categories.

Personal Life & Legacy

Williams has been married to Jane Gillan Stoddard since 1986. They have two children. His daughter Allison Williams is an actress and musician.

Facts About Brian Williams

Brian Williams is an accomplished amateur rapper and has been known to freestyle on occasion, showcasing his lyrical skills outside of his role as a news anchor.

He is an avid fan of roller coasters and has ridden some of the world's most thrilling and intense rides, showing his adventurous side beyond the newsroom.

Brian Williams has a passion for aviation and holds a private pilot's license, often taking to the skies in his free time to indulge in his love for flying.

In his spare time, he enjoys woodworking and has crafted several pieces of furniture for his home, showcasing his creative and hands-on abilities outside of his journalistic career.

Brian Williams is a talented and passionate photographer, often capturing unique and striking images while traveling for news stories or during his personal adventures, showcasing his artistic side beyond his reporting duties.

Brian Williams Biography

You wanted to know

Has Brian Williams ever been involved in any controversies?

Does Brian Williams have a background in journalism?

Is Brian Williams active on social media?

What is Brian Williams' educational background?