Cokie Roberts: 9 Facts You Need to Know
Cokie Roberts, political journalist and bestselling author, dies at the age of 75.
The pioneering journalist was devoted to the role of women in American history, as well as her own family.
1 # Trailblazer for Female Journalists
Known as a pioneer for female journalists and a staple of the political scene in Washington D.C., Cokie Roberts died Tuesday, September 17, 2019, of complications from breast cancer, which was first diagnosed in 2002. She was 75.
2 # Cokie Roberts had a leading position when the industry was dominated by men
During her illustrious career that paved the way for women to be taken seriously in journalism at a time when the industry was dominated by men.
She won three Emmies and was admitted to the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame, one of the American Women in Radio and Television's 50 largest women in the history of the broadcast and honoured as a "Living Legend" by the Library of Congress.
3 # A Historian and New York Times best-selling author
Dedicated to the role of women in American history, she was also a New York Times best-selling author and historian. She wrote books on the subject, including Ladies of Liberty: The Women Who Shaped Our Nation and Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation — the last to be converted in March 2005 into an original documentary by History Channel Founding Mothers With Cokie Roberts.
4 # Founder of National Public Radio (NPR)
Appropriately, she was considered one of the founders of National Public Radio (NPR) - together with Nina Totenberg, Linda Wertheimer and Susan Stamberg - where she worked from 1977.
In 1988 she moved to ABC News, but she still held a part-time job at NPR, which she held until her death.
5 # Her Twitter biography: "Political commentator for @ABC News and NPR and the author of 6 New York Times bestsellers for women in America."
Her Twitter biography at the time of death reflected her hardworking nature, still working for both companies that defined her career: "Political commentator for @ABC News and NPR and the author of 6 New York Times bestsellers for women in America."
6 # Born on December 27, 1943,
Born as Mary Martha Corinne Morrison Claiborne Bogg on December 27, 1943, in New Orleans, she earned the nickname Cokie as a child of her older brother Thomas, who had a hard time saying her name Corinne.
7 # Family background: a political household
Cokie Roberts grew up in a political household, with both her parents in the congress.
Her father Thomas Hale Boggs Sr. was the leader and congressman of the House Democratic for more than 30 years until he was missing on a flight in Alaska in 1972.
Her mother Lindy Claiborne Boggs sat down until the end of 1990. Her brothers and sisters also made their way to politics, with her brother Thomas Boggs Jr. as a lobbyist and her sister Barbara Boggs Sigmund as mayor of Princeton, New Jersey.
8 # Cokie Roberts: Career life
While studying political science at Wellesley College, graduating in 1964, she turned away from her family's footsteps by covering politics as a journalist. “I have always felt semi-guilty about it,” she told The Washington Post about not entering politics.
But I’ve sort of assuaged my guilt by writing about it and feeling like I’m educating people about the government and how to be good voters and good citizens.”
In her early days, she hosted the WRC TV program Meeting of the Minds, a foreign correspondent for CBS, a correspondent for MacNeil / Lehrer NewsHour and senior news analyst for PBS.
During her term at ABC News, she anchored This Week with Sam Donaldson from 1996 to 2002 and continued to contribute to the show as a political commentator and head of the congress analyst.
As a mainstay of political journalism for decades, Roberts always appreciated her unique position. “It is such a privilege – you have a front seat to history,” Roberts told Kentucky Educational Television in 2017. “You do get used to it, and you shouldn’t, because it is a very special thing to be able to be in the room… when all kinds of special things are happening.”
9 # Roberts married fellow journalist Steve Roberts in 1966
Despite her passion for her career, her family was mainly in the life of Roberts.
She married fellow journalist Steve Roberts in 1966, whom she met while studying at a political event.
“I knew what an extraordinary person Cokie was,” he said in a 2017 interview with The New York Times. “I was bowled over by her enormous intellect and that has been part of our lives throughout our relationship.”
The official statement of the family:
“Her values put family and relationships above everything else. She is survived by her husband of 53 years, journalist, author and professor Steven V. Roberts, her children Lee Roberts and Rebecca Roberts, her grandchildren Regan, Hale and Cecilia Roberts and Claiborne, Jack and Roland Hartman, along with numerous nieces, nephews and nieces and nephews. She is also survived by friendships and causes where she puts her time, resources, and energy that are too numerous to count. "
