Judy Woodruff Biography
Judy Woodruff is a seasoned American broadcast journalist whose impressive career has spanned over five decades, starting back in 1970. She was the anchor and managing editor of PBS NewsHour until the end of 2022. Throughout her journey, Woodruff has reported on every U.S. presidential election and national party convention since 1976, interviewed countless heads of state, and even moderated presidential debates.
After earning her degree from Duke University in 1968, Woodruff kicked off her journalism career in local television news in Atlanta. By 1976, she had taken on the role of White House correspondent for NBC News, a position she held for six years. In 1982, she made the switch to PBS, where she reported from the White House for The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour—now known as PBS NewsHour—while also hosting another PBS show.
In 1993, Woodruff joined CNN, where she anchored Inside Politics and co-hosted CNN WorldView with Bernard Shaw. She stayed with the network until 2005, when she returned to PBS and rejoined PBS NewsHour in 2006. In 2013, she and Gwen Ifill were named the official anchors of the program, taking over from founding anchor Jim Lehrer. The two shared managing editor duties until Ifill’s passing in 2016, after which Woodruff became the sole lead anchor.
In May 2022, Woodruff announced her decision to step down as anchor of PBS NewsHour at the end of the year. Her last broadcast as anchor aired on December 30, 2022.
Judy Woodruff Age
Woodruff is 79 years old as of 2026. She was born on 20 November 1946 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States.
Judy Woodruff Height
Woodruff stands at a height of 5 feet 2 inches (1.57m).
Judy Woodruff Family
Woodruff was born in the United States to William H. Woodruff, an Army senior warrant officer, and Anna Lee Woodruff. Anita is her only sibling. She was an army brat who moved around a lot during her childhood, attending seven different schools between kindergarten and seventh grade. When Woodruff was five years old, she moved from Oklahoma to Germany. She then moved to army stations in Missouri and New Jersey, returned to Oklahoma, lived in Taiwan for a few years, and then relocated to North Carolina, where her father was stationed at Fort Gordon, before settling in Augusta, Georgia, area.
Judy Woodruff Education
Woodruff attended Augusta’s Academy of Richmond County High School. She won the beauty competition Young Miss Augusta in 1963. Beginning in 1964, Woodruff enrolled at Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina, to pursue a degree in mathematics. She mentioned in an interview that her Meredith political science instructor sparked her interest in politics. Woodruff transferred to Duke University in 1966 after two years at Meredith. She was a member of the sorority Alpha Delta Pi and was involved in Duke’s student government.
During her studies, Woodruff served as an intern for Georgia Representative Robert Grier Stephens Jr. for two summers, but she was discouraged from working in Washington, D.C. because of the treatment of women there. In her senior year, Woodruff decided to pursue a career in journalism. In 1968, she earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Duke University. Between 1985 and 1997, she was a member of Duke’s board of trustees. Woodruff received an honorary doctorate from Duke University in 1998, as well as honorary doctorates from the University of Scranton in 1991 and the University of Pennsylvania (LL.D.) in 2005.
Judy Woodruff Husband
Woodruff is married to Al Hunt, a journalist and former reporter, and the couple split their time between Washington, D.C., and nearby Maryland. In 1976, they met at a softball game in Plains, Georgia, between media and Carter presidential campaign personnel. On April 5, 1980, they married in St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C. Jeffrey, born in 1981, Benjamin, born in 1986, and Lauren, born in 1989, are the couple’s three children. About five hours after going on air, Woodruff gave birth to Jeffrey. Jeffrey was born with a minor form of spina bifida, and following surgery in 1998, he became crippled and brain-damaged, prompting Woodruff to curtail her duties at CNN. Lauren was four months old when she was adopted from Korea.
Judy Woodruff CNN | PBS
Judy Woodruff is a seasoned American broadcast journalist whose impressive career has spanned over five decades, starting back in 1970. She was the anchor and managing editor of PBS NewsHour until the end of 2022. Throughout her journey, Woodruff has reported on every U.S. presidential election and national party convention since 1976, interviewed countless heads of state, and even moderated presidential debates.
After earning her degree from Duke University in 1968, Woodruff kicked off her journalism career in local television news in Atlanta. By 1976, she had taken on the role of White House correspondent for NBC News, a position she held for six years. In 1982, she made the switch to PBS, where she reported from the White House for The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour—now known as PBS NewsHour—while also hosting another PBS show.
In 1993, Woodruff joined CNN, where she anchored Inside Politics and co-hosted CNN WorldView with Bernard Shaw. She stayed with the network until 2005, when she returned to PBS and rejoined PBS NewsHour in 2006. In 2013, she and Gwen Ifill were named the official anchors of the program, taking over from founding anchor Jim Lehrer. The two shared managing editor duties until Ifill’s passing in 2016, after which Woodruff became the sole lead anchor.
In May 2022, Woodruff announced her decision to step down as anchor of PBS NewsHour at the end of the year. Her last broadcast as anchor aired on December 30, 2022.
Judy Woodruff Net Worth
Woodruff has an estimated net worth of $8 Million.
Judy Woodruff Career
Woodruff worked for NBC, PBS, and the MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour as a correspondent. In 1970, she moved to CBS station WAGA-TV in Washington, D.C., where she began her career as a secretary at an ABC affiliate in Atlanta, Georgia. For NBC, Woodruff covered Jimmy Carter’s winning presidential campaign in 1976. She continued to cover the White House until 1982, and in 1988, she moderated a PBS vice-presidential debate. After Jessica Savitch died in 1984, she co-hosted Frontline with Judy Woodruff.
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