Diane Sawyer, a prominent American journalist and news anchor, is widely recognized for her notable work with ABC News. She was born on December 22, 1945, in Glasgow, Kentucky and grew up in Louisville.
RELATED: Who is Iqra Aziz? Everything About The Pakistani actress
Sawyer received her education from Wellesley College and the University of Louisville where she earned a degree in English. This article will provide a detailed biography of Sawyer, including her age, career, net worth, and personal life.
Table of Contents
Quick Facts
| Full Name: | Diane Sawyer |
|---|---|
| Born Date: | 22 Dec 1945 |
| Age: | 77 years |
| Horoscope: | Capricorn |
| Lucky Number: | 8 |
| Lucky Stone: | Topaz |
| Lucky Color: | Brown |
| Best Match for Marriage: | Scorpio, Virgo, Taurus |
| Gender: | Female |
| Profession: | Journalist |
| Country: | America |
| Height: | 5 feet 9 inches (1.75m) |
| Marital Status: | widow |
| Married Date: | April 29, 1988 |
| Husband | Mike Nicholls |
| Net Worth | $80 miliion |
| Salary | $22 million |
| Eye Color | Blue |
| Hair Color | Blonde |
| Body Size | 36-25-36 |
| Birth Place | Glasgow, Kentucky, Unites States |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | English, Irish, Scots-Irish, and German |
| Religion | Christian |
| Education | Wellesley College, Seneca High School, University of Louisville, Brandeis School of Law |
| Father | Erbon Powers “Tom” Sawyer |
| Mother | Jean W. Sawyer |
| Siblings | Linda Sawyer |
| Diane Sawyer Instagram |
Who is Diane Sawyer?
Diane Sawyer was born on December 22, 1945, in Glasgow, Kentucky, and spent her childhood in Louisville. As of 2022, she is currently 77 years old. After attending Wellesley College, Sawyer obtained a degree in English from the University of Louisville.
Sawyer is renowned for her work in journalism, having previously hosted CBS Morning during her time at CBS News. She also made history as the first woman correspondent on the iconic show 60 Minutes. Prior to her career in journalism, Sawyer worked for U.S. President Richard Nixon’s White House staff, where she assisted in his post-presidential memoirs. She currently works for ABC News, producing documentaries and conducting interviews for special programs.
Childhood & Early Life
Diane Sawyer, a prominent American journalist and news anchor, was born on December 22, 1945, in Glasgow, Kentucky. She is the younger of two daughters of Jean W. (née Dunagan) and Erbon Powers “Tom” Sawyer. Her mother was an elementary school teacher, while her father was a former US Navy captain during World War II. Her family moved to Louisville when she was just a few months old. At the time of his death in a car accident in 1969, her father was serving as the Kentucky’s Jefferson County Judge/Executive.
Sawyer attended Seneca High School in Louisville, where she was actively involved in various artistic endeavors. She served as the editor-in-chief for the school newspaper ‘The Arrow.’ In 1963, she represented Kentucky in the annual national America’s Junior Miss scholarship pageant, winning the competition by demonstrating her poise and writing an essay comparing the music of the north and south during the Civil War period.
She served as America’s Junior Miss from 1962 to 1965 and travelled across the country endorsing the Coca-Cola Pavilion at the 1964–1965 New York World’s Fair. Sawyer graduated from Wellesley College in Massachusetts in 1967, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. At her college, she was a member of the Wellesley College Blue Notes, an a cappella singing group, and Phi Sigma Lecture Society.
Sawyer briefly enrolled in law school at the University of Louisville but left after one semester to pursue a career in journalism. She began her career in journalism as a weather forecaster for WLKY-TV in Louisville before moving on to work for the White House staff during President Richard Nixon’s administration. She later worked as a correspondent for CBS News, where she hosted CBS Morning and became the first woman correspondent on 60 Minutes.
Currently, Sawyer works for ABC News, producing documentaries and interview specials. Her family’s prominence in the political arena and her work in journalism have made her a respected and influential figure in American media.
Career
After graduating from college, Diane Sawyer began her career as a weather forecaster but quickly grew bored of the job. She was promoted to a general assignment post but still felt unfulfilled. Seeking better opportunities, she moved to Washington, D.C., but found there were no suitable broadcasting positions available. She then switched careers and applied for a job in the government offices. After multiple interviews, she was hired as an assistant to Jerry Warren and quickly rose to the position of staff assistant to President Nixon.
In 1973, Sawyer was tasked, along with Larry Speakes, with proving former White House Counsel John Dean’s testimony regarding Nixon’s involvement in the Watergate cover-up was a lie before the Senate Watergate Committee. She remained loyal to Nixon throughout his resignation and transition period, helping him prepare for interviews with David Frost and co-authoring his memoirs.
Returning to broadcasting in 1978, Sawyer worked as a general-assignment reporter for CBS News before co-anchoring the morning news show. She became the first female correspondent on CBS News’ “60 Minutes” and was with the show for five years. Sawyer joined ABC News in 1989, co-anchoring “Primetime Live” with Sam Donaldson before co-hosting “20/20” from 1998 to 2000.
In 1999, Sawyer became the co-host of “Good Morning America” with Charles Gibson, a position that she held for 11 years. She was the first anchor to report to viewers about the first plane hitting the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Sawyer later became the host of ABC’s flagship program, “ABC World News”, where she focused on “news you can use” instead of hard international news. Under her leadership, the show received 60% female viewership.
Sawyer stepped down as the weekday host of “ABC World News” on June 25, 2014, and was replaced by weekend host David Muir. She left the program in August of that year but continues to conduct interviews and produce specials for ABC News.
Awards & Achievements
Diane Sawyer’s contributions to the world of television journalism have earned her numerous accolades. She was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1997 and has won several Emmy Awards for her work. Her first Emmy was awarded in 2000 for her coverage of ‘ABC 2000 Today’.
In 2002, her show ‘Good Morning America’ won the ‘News & Documentary Emmy for Outstanding Background/Analysis of a Single Current Story in a Regularly Scheduled Newscast’ and from 2007 to 2009, it won the Daytime Emmy Award for ‘Outstanding Morning Programming’ consecutively. That same year, she received the ‘News & Documentary Emmy Award for Outstanding Interview’ for her work on ‘Primetime’.
Sawyer has continued to be recognized for her journalistic achievements. She received Emmys for ‘20/20’ in 2008, ‘ABC News Special Events’ in 2010, and ‘ABC Evening News’ and ‘Nightline’ in 2012. She was also awarded a Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award in 2007 for her segment on ABC News, ‘A Call to Action: Saving Our Children’, and a Peabody Award in 2009 for ‘A Hidden America: Children of the Mountains’.
Personal Life
Previously, Diane Sawyer had romantic relationships with Frank Gannon, an aide to President Nixon, and Richard Holbrooke, an American diplomat. In 1986, when Sawyer was 40 years old, she met Mike Nichols, a well-known film and theatre director, actor, and producer, while in Paris. At the time, Nichols was 54 and highly respected in his field.
They tied the knot on April 29, 1988. Although Sawyer became the stepmother to Nichols’ two daughters and son from his previous marriages, she did not have any biological children of her own. Sadly, Nichols passed away on November 19, 2014, at the age of 83 due to a heart attack.
Net Worth
It is estimated that Diane Sawyer’s net worth is around $80 billion, which is a result of her significant contributions to the media industry over the years.
