Barbara Walters was born on September 25, 1929, to Dena Seletsky Walters and Lou Walters. Her father was a prominent nightclub impresario, which meant Barbara was surrounded by entertainers from an early age. She had a brother, Burton, who died of pneumonia complications in 1932—an event that deeply affected her and led her to care attentively for her sister Jacqueline, who was born with developmental disabilities.
Walters attended the Ethical Culture Fieldston School and the Birch Wathen School in New York City, although she spent portions of her childhood in Boston due to her father’s business ventures, which included a chain of nightclubs stretching from Boston, Massachusetts, to Miami Beach, Florida. She graduated from Miami Beach High School in 1947 before enrolling at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York. She earned her bachelor’s degree in English in 1953.
After college, Walters initially worked as a secretary but soon transitioned into broadcasting. She secured a position as an assistant to the publicity director at WRCA-TV (an NBC affiliate), where she refined her writing and producing skills. She later joined CBS, contributing written material for the Morning Show. In 1955, Walters married business executive Robert Henry Katz. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1958.
In 1963, Walters married theatrical producer Lee Guber. The couple adopted a daughter, whom they named Jacqueline Dena, in honor of Walters’ mother and sister.
Walters joined NBC’s Today Show in 1961 as a writer and researcher. Her big break came when she was selected to accompany First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy on a goodwill trip to India and Pakistan. The success of her report led to an expanded role on the show, and by 1964, she had become a regular presence. Known as the "Today Girl," she appeared alongside hosts Hugh Downs and later Frank McGee.
Despite her on-screen presence, Walters wasn't officially named co-host until 1974. During this time, she was frequently relegated to less serious content and was often restricted from questioning major guests until after her male counterparts had finished.
By 1972, Walters had gained national recognition for her personable but incisive interview style—often described as “probing-yet-casual.” She accompanied President Richard Nixon on his historic 1972 trip to China as part of the press corps, a notable milestone in her journalism career. In 1975, she won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host.
The same year, she made history by becoming the first female co-anchor of a network evening news program. ABC News offered her a then-unprecedented $1 million annual salary. In 1976, Walters moderated the final presidential debate between President Gerald Ford and challenger Jimmy Carter. That year, she also debuted her Barbara Walters Specials, the first of which featured interviews with President Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter. In 1977, she conducted the first joint interview with Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat.
| Birth Date: | 25 Sep, 1929 |
| Age: | 90 yrs |
| Occupations: | Journalist Television presenter Writer News presenter |
| Citizenship: | United States of America |
| Birth Place: | Boston |
| Education: | Sarah Lawrence College |
| Gender: | Female |
| Description: | American broadcast journalist, author, and television personality |
| Spouse: | Merv Adelson[1981-1984] Lee Guber[1963-1976] |
| Net Worth 2021: | 170 million |
