Gretchen Carlson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gretchen Carlson
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Carlson in 2017
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| Born |
Gretchen Elizabeth Carlson
June 21, 1966 Coon Rapids, Minnesota, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Stanford University |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1989–present |
| Organization | Lift Our Voices |
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Notable credit(s)
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The Saturday Early Show co-host (2002–2005) Fox and Friends co-host (2005–2013) |
| Television | CBS News (2000–2005) Fox News (2005–2016) |
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| Spouse(s) |
Casey Close
(m. 1997) |
| Children | 2 |
Gretchen Elizabeth Carlson (born June 21, 1966) is an American journalist, writer, and TV personality. She is known for her work as a news anchor and for speaking out against unfair workplace practices.
Carlson grew up in Minnesota. She was a talented violinist from a young age. Later, she entered beauty pageants, winning Miss Minnesota in 1988 and then becoming Miss America in 1989. She studied at Stanford University and finished her degree in 1990.
After college, Carlson became a TV anchor. She worked at local TV stations before joining CBS News as a national correspondent. From 2002 to 2005, she co-hosted The Early Show on CBS. She then moved to Fox News, where she co-hosted Fox & Friends from 2005 to 2013. She also hosted her own show, The Real Story with Gretchen Carlson, from 2013 to 2016.
In 2019, Carlson helped start an organization called Lift Our Voices. This group works to stop companies from using special agreements that keep people from talking about problems at work. She also led the Miss America Organization for a time. In 2017, Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Gretchen Carlson was born in Coon Rapids, Minnesota. She was one of four children. Her family has Swedish roots. Her hometown, Anoka, Minnesota, is known as the "Halloween Capital of the World." Carlson was the grand marshal of its parade in 2004.
From a young age, Carlson was a skilled violinist. She performed on radio and TV. She studied music at famous schools like the Juilliard School of Music in New York City. She won several music competitions and even performed as a soloist with the Minnesota Orchestra when she was just 13 years old. She graduated from Anoka High School in 1984 as the top student.
In June 1988, Carlson was crowned Miss Minnesota. A few months later, on September 10, 1988, she became Miss America 1989. She was the first classical violinist to win these titles. After winning Miss America, she met President Ronald Reagan. She also appeared on many TV shows, which helped her start a career in television.
Carlson went to Stanford University and graduated with honors in 1990. She also spent time studying at Oxford University in England. She had planned to go to law school but decided to become a journalist instead. In 2011, she was honored by her old high school and added to their Hall of Fame.
Starting Her TV Career
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After being Miss America, Carlson began her TV career in 1990 at WRIC-TV in Virginia. She then worked at WCPO-TV in Ohio and WOIO/WUAB in Cleveland. In Cleveland, she and a colleague made history as the first women to co-anchor a major news show during prime time.
From 1998 to 2000, Carlson worked as a weekend anchor and reporter for KXAS-TV in Texas. In both Dallas and Cleveland, she would sometimes play "The Star-Spangled Banner" on her violin at Major League Baseball games.
In 2000, Carlson moved to national television as a correspondent for CBS. By 2002, she became a co-anchor of the Saturday edition of The Early Show on CBS. She also often anchored the weekend news for CBS. During her early career, she reported on major events like the Oklahoma City bombing and the September 11 terrorist attacks.
Working at Fox News
Carlson first appeared on Fox & Friends as a fill-in host in 2006. On September 25, 2006, she became a main anchor of the show. She co-hosted Fox & Friends with Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade for nearly eight years.
In 2013, Carlson left Fox & Friends to host her own show, The Real Story with Gretchen Carlson. On this new show, she started covering stories that supported women's rights. For example, she reported on an actress who demanded the same pay as her male co-star.
After Fox News: New Roles
Leading the Miss America Organization
On January 1, 2018, Carlson was chosen to lead the board of directors for the Miss America Organization. This was a volunteer job. One of her first big decisions was to remove the swimsuit competition from the pageant. The goal was to make the pageant more focused on interviews and talents, rather than just looks.
Carlson wanted to update the pageant to "Miss America 2.0." However, there were some disagreements within the organization. She resigned from her role in June 2019. Around the same time, it was announced that the Miss America pageant would return to NBC.
Other TV and Media Projects
In 2018, Carlson made a deal with A&E Networks to host three documentary specials. She also worked as a correspondent for the TV documentary series America Divided, where she produced an episode about women's issues.
Carlson hosted other shows like Live PD Presents: Women on Patrol and Escaping Polygamy on Lifetime. In 2019, she hosted two more documentaries: Escaping the NXIVM Cult: A Mother's Fight to Save Her Daughter and The College Admissions Scandal.
In 2019, Carlson wrote an article for The New York Times. She explained that she still couldn't talk about certain past events because of a special agreement. In 2020, she announced a new TV deal to produce an interview series. She also became a special contributor for PEOPLE (the TV Show!). In 2021, Carlson's family history was explored on the PBS show Finding Your Roots. It showed that her family came from Sweden.
Helping Others: Activism
Philanthropy and Public Work
In 2017, Carlson started the Gift of Courage Fund. She also partnered with a group called All In Together to create the Gretchen Carlson Leadership Initiative (GCLI). This program helps women, especially those who have faced unfair treatment, learn how to be leaders and speak up. The initiative has held many workshops across the country.
Carlson's Gift of Courage Fund also helped create a program for women to get involved in supporting laws that benefit women and children. More recently, Carlson started the non-profit organization Lift Our Voices. Its main goal is to stop companies from using certain agreements that prevent people from talking about problems like unfair treatment at work.
Carlson has received many awards for her work. In 2017, she was named one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World. She also received the prestigious Matrix Award. In 2020, she received the Sandra Day O'Connor Lifetime Achievement Award.
Lift Our Voices
In 2019, Carlson announced her new group, Lift Our Voices (LOV). She started it with two former Fox News colleagues, Julie Roginsky and Diana Falzone. Their goal is to fight against nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) that silence people.
In 2020, LOV asked presidential candidates to support their mission. Carlson's organization also wrote an article encouraging debate moderators to ask candidates about their views on NDAs. This led to more public discussion about these agreements.
In 2021, Carlson and Roginsky, along with a labor activist, wrote an essay. They encouraged the Washington State Legislature to pass a bill that would protect workers more. This bill would stop employers from using NDAs in cases of unfair treatment or assault.
Personal Life
Gretchen Carlson married sports agent Casey Close on October 4, 1997. They live in Greenwich, Connecticut, and have two children.
In 2009, Carlson shared on TV that her parents' car dealership was going to close. However, after a lot of effort, including a national TV appeal, her family's dealership was able to stay open.
Carlson continues to support the arts because of her own experience as a child violinist. She has always admired the famous cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and she finally met him at a conference in 2019.
See also
In Spanish: Gretchen Carlson para niños
