Charles Gibson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Charles Gibson
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Gibson in 2008
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Charles deWolf Gibson
March 9, 1943 Evanston, Illinois, U.S.
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| Education | Princeton University |
| Occupation | Television journalist |
| Years active | 1965–2016, 2022–present |
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Notable credit(s)
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Narrator for This Week (2012–2014) World News Saturday anchor (1987–1988) World News with Charles Gibson anchor (2006–2009) Good Morning America co-anchor (1987–1998; 1999–2006) ABC News House of Representatives correspondent (1981–1987) ABC News general assignment reporter (1977–1981) ABC News White House correspondent (1976–1977) The Bookcase, co-host with daughter Kate (2022–present) ABC Audio |
| Spouse(s) | Arlene |
| Children | 2 |
Charles deWolf Gibson (born March 9, 1943) is an American TV news anchor, journalist, and podcaster. He is well-known for hosting Good Morning America from 1987 to 1998 and again from 1999 to 2006. He also anchored World News with Charles Gibson from 2006 to 2009.
Gibson started his career in 1965, working at his college radio station and as a reporter for local TV stations. In 1975, he joined ABC News, where he reported from Washington, D.C..
Contents
Early Life and Education
Charles Gibson was born on March 9, 1943, in Evanston, Illinois. His parents were Georgianna Law and Burdett Gibson. He is also a great-nephew of the famous artist Charles Dana Gibson. Charles grew up in Washington, D.C., and went to Sidwell Friends School, a private school there.
In 1965, Gibson graduated from Princeton University with a degree in history. While at Princeton, he was the News Director for the university's radio station, WPRB-FM. He also wrote a special paper about land and money issues in Ireland before a big famine. In 1966, he served in the United States Coast Guard.
Charles Gibson's Career in News
Starting Out in Television
Gibson began his professional career in 1966 at RKO General as a producer. Later, he worked as a reporter and anchor for WLVA (now WSET) television in Lynchburg, Virginia. In 1970, he moved to WMAL-TV (now WJLA) in Washington, D.C., which was an ABC network station.
In 1974, Gibson joined a news service called Television News Inc. (TVN). For TVN, he reported on important events like the Watergate scandal investigations and President Richard Nixon's decision to leave office.
Joining ABC News
Reporting from the Field
Charles Gibson joined ABC News in 1975. He worked as a White House correspondent, covering the President, from 1976 to 1977. From 1977 to 1981, he was a general reporter, covering many different stories. Then, from 1981 to 1987, he was the main reporter for the House of Representatives.
Gibson also filled in as an anchor for shows like World News Tonight with Peter Jennings, ABC World News Saturday, and Nightline.
Hosting Good Morning America
On February 23, 1987, Charles Gibson became a co-anchor of Good Morning America (GMA) with Joan Lunden. For many years, from 1985 to 1995, GMA was the most-watched morning show in America.
In 1990, Gibson hosted a documentary called Lucky Number, which was about problems related to gambling.
During the 1992 presidential election, Gibson interviewed many important people. He asked Reform Party candidate Ross Perot about the economy. He also interviewed Bill Clinton, who was then the Governor of Arkansas and running for president. Later, he interviewed President George H. W. Bush.
On May 1, 1998, Gibson left Good Morning America. However, the show's viewership dropped after he left. So, ABC brought him back on January 18, 1999, to co-host with Diane Sawyer. He stayed with the morning show until June 28, 2006, after being there for 19 years.
On September 11, 2001, Gibson was anchoring Good Morning America with Diane Sawyer when the attacks on the World Trade Center began. They quickly handed over the news coverage to their colleague Peter Jennings.
In 2004, Gibson was chosen to lead a debate during the U.S. presidential election. This debate was between President George W. Bush and Senator John Kerry. It took place on October 8, 2004, in St. Louis.
Anchoring World News with Charles Gibson
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In 2005, Charles Gibson started filling in as anchor for World News Tonight more often. This was because the long-time anchor, Peter Jennings, was getting treatment for lung cancer. On August 7, 2005, Gibson announced Jennings's death on air. The next day, he anchored the newscast.
After some changes, Gibson was named the main anchor of World News Tonight on May 23, 2006. The show's name was later changed to World News with Charles Gibson. He had planned to retire in 2007, but he decided to stay on as anchor.
During the 2008 U.S. presidential election, Gibson helped lead a debate for the Democratic candidates, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This debate was shown only by ABC News.
On September 11, 2008, Gibson conducted the first major interview with Sarah Palin. She had just been chosen as the Republican vice-presidential candidate.
During Gibson's time as anchor, World News was very competitive with other news programs. It sometimes even beat NBC Nightly News in ratings.
In September 2009, ABC News announced that Gibson planned to retire from World News. Diane Sawyer was chosen to take his place. Charles Gibson anchored his final broadcast of World News on December 18, 2009.
Recent Work and Activities
In December 2010, Charles Gibson gave a speech at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. He talked about his experiences as an ABC News Anchor.
In 2016, he appeared as a news anchor in season 4 of the Netflix show House of Cards. He also helped with ABC News' live coverage of the presidential election on November 8, 2016.
On May 2, 2022, Gibson returned to ABC to host a podcast with his daughter, Kate. The podcast is called The Bookcase. It features authors, people from the book industry, and local bookstores. The first episode included Oprah Winfrey.
Awards and Recognition
Charles Gibson has received several awards for his work. In 1973, he was given a National Journalism Fellowship. The Radio Television Digital News Association honored him with the Paul White Award in 2006. In 2008, Quinnipiac University gave him the Fred Friendly First Amendment Award.
Personal Life
Charles Gibson is married to Arlene Gibson. She is an educator who retired in 2006 as the head of The Spence School in New York City. She also worked at other schools in New York and New Jersey.
Charles and Arlene have two daughters, Jessica and Katherine. In 2006, Jessica had a baby, making Charles a grandfather for the first time.
The Gibson family has lived in Summit, New Jersey.
From 2006 to 2015, Charles Gibson was a member of the board of trustees at Princeton University, his old college.
Gibson has also given commencement speeches at several colleges. He spoke at Vassar College in 1989, Monmouth University in 2006, and Union College in 2007. At Monmouth and Union, he also received honorary degrees. At Union College, he helped create a scholarship in his father's name.
Images for kids
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Charles Gibson in 2008
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Gibson interviewing First Lady Laura Bush on GMA in 2004
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Gibson interviews Republican former U.S. Senator Fred Thompson during his 2008 presidential campaign.
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President Barack Obama with Gibson during an ABC News discussion about health care, June 24, 2009.
