1. He’s very well-educated
Ted Koppel, 77, went to college at Syracuse University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree. He got his Master of Arts degree in mass communications research and political science from Stanford University. He also has an honorary Doctor of Humane letters degree from Duke University and honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Southern California in 1987 and 2006, respectively.
2. He’s best known for his work on ‘Nightline’
After nearly 20 year working for ABC News as a reporter and correspondent, Ted became the host of Nightline from 1980 until he retired from the network in 2005. While the show began as a special report for the Iranian hostage crisis in 1979, it developed into Nightline after just a few months. Ted had been at ABC for 42 years when he left Nightline and the network. He went on to become a managing editor for the Discovery Channel and currently serves as a special contributor on CBS Sunday Morning.
Ted Koppel — PICS
3. He’s an Emmy Award winner
After working on an acclaimed show for 25 years, it’s no surprise that Ted has been well awarded for his work. He has the following Emmy Awards: Outstanding Coverage of a Breaking News Story (1987 & 1999), Outstanding Investigative Journalism (1999), Outstanding Feature Story in a News Magazine (2004) and the Lifetime Achievement Award (2007).
4. He’s a family man
Ted married his wife, Grace Anne Dorney, in 1963. Together, they had four children, Andrea, Deidre, Andrew and Tara. Sadly , Andrew died in 2010 — he was tragically found dead in his NYC apartment on May 31 of that year.
5. His parents escaped Nazi Germany
Ted’s Jewish parents, Alice and Edwin, fled from Adolf Hitler in Germany, relocating to England, where he was born in 1940. The family moved to the United States 13 years later.
HollywoodLifers, what were you most surprised to learn about Ted Koppel?