Quick Facts: -Full Name: Samuel Andrew Donaldson Jr.
-Birth Date: March 11, 1934
-Occupation: News Anchor, Journalist
-Education: University of Texas, University of Southern California
-Place of Birth: El Paso, TX
Early Years Sam grew up on his family's farm in Chamberino, New Mexico with his mother and older brother. (His father passed away before he was born.) When he was young he had heard the WWII radio coverage. That was what had intrigued him to pursue a career in journalism. When he was 14, his mother sent him off to military school.
In 1951, he graduated from the NM Military Institute. Sam later enrolled in Texas Western College, known today as The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). There, he majored in telecommunications. Later Sam became the station manager at KVOF-FM.
After a year of graduate school at The University of Southern California, he returned home to work for President Eisenhower's reelection campaign. (Summer of 1956) Later that year, (Autumn of 1956) Sam went to Fort Bliss for ROTC Obligations. Before his discharge in 1959, he had reached the rank of captain.
Early Broadcasting Career In 1959, he became an affiliate for CBS at KRLD-TV in Dallas Texas. He continued to be the CBS affiliate in 1961 for WTOP-TV in Washington DC. Samuel covered stories of national interest, such as, President Kennedy's funeral in 1963, and the Senate's passage of Civil Rights in 1964. He then later moved on to work at ABC News in 1967.
The Popularity Increases Sam became the correspondent for ABC's Capitol Hill. He reported on the Vietnam War and Watergate hearings. He also covered presidential campaigns, such as, George McGovern's in 1972 and Jimmy Carter's in 1976. Then, in 1977, Donaldson rose to become ABC's Chief White House correspondent! He was named Anchor for World News Sunday in 1979. Sam was a regular guest on This Week with David Brinkley, where he then became a panelist. In 1987, Sam came out with his autobiography, Hold On, Mr. President. Two years later, he co-hosted alongside Diane Sawyer on Primetime Live. Later, in 1996, he was the 8 year co-host for This Week alongside Cokie Roberts. Then, in 1998, Donaldson went back to being ABC's Chief White House correspondent.
Later Career The Sam Donaldson Show radio program went live in America from 2001-04. In February of 2009, he was a full-time employee of ABC News.
Interesting Facts -Sam Donaldson was the first person to broadcast
-In 1999-2001, "SamDonaldson@abcnews,com" was the 1st internet only live newsast.
-In 1941, after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, his mother got a radio and they listened to the war news. Sam was 7 years old.
- In 2004, a 14 year-old boy was accused of shooting and killing his father, stepmother, and stepsister on the Hondo ranch owned by Sam Donaldson. The boy's father, Delbert P. Posey, had managed the ranch. According to the New York Times, the boy told authorities that his father abused him regularly. The boy, Cody Posey was charged with three accounts of murder. (Sam Donaldson was the first to report a disturbance at the Posey home. He did not see the bodies, but found the home littered with broken glass and blood spatter on July 6, 2004, and went to police.)
-Birth Date: March 11, 1934
-Occupation: News Anchor, Journalist
-Education: University of Texas, University of Southern California
-Place of Birth: El Paso, TX
Early Years Sam grew up on his family's farm in Chamberino, New Mexico with his mother and older brother. (His father passed away before he was born.) When he was young he had heard the WWII radio coverage. That was what had intrigued him to pursue a career in journalism. When he was 14, his mother sent him off to military school.
In 1951, he graduated from the NM Military Institute. Sam later enrolled in Texas Western College, known today as The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). There, he majored in telecommunications. Later Sam became the station manager at KVOF-FM.
After a year of graduate school at The University of Southern California, he returned home to work for President Eisenhower's reelection campaign. (Summer of 1956) Later that year, (Autumn of 1956) Sam went to Fort Bliss for ROTC Obligations. Before his discharge in 1959, he had reached the rank of captain.
Early Broadcasting Career In 1959, he became an affiliate for CBS at KRLD-TV in Dallas Texas. He continued to be the CBS affiliate in 1961 for WTOP-TV in Washington DC. Samuel covered stories of national interest, such as, President Kennedy's funeral in 1963, and the Senate's passage of Civil Rights in 1964. He then later moved on to work at ABC News in 1967.
The Popularity Increases Sam became the correspondent for ABC's Capitol Hill. He reported on the Vietnam War and Watergate hearings. He also covered presidential campaigns, such as, George McGovern's in 1972 and Jimmy Carter's in 1976. Then, in 1977, Donaldson rose to become ABC's Chief White House correspondent! He was named Anchor for World News Sunday in 1979. Sam was a regular guest on This Week with David Brinkley, where he then became a panelist. In 1987, Sam came out with his autobiography, Hold On, Mr. President. Two years later, he co-hosted alongside Diane Sawyer on Primetime Live. Later, in 1996, he was the 8 year co-host for This Week alongside Cokie Roberts. Then, in 1998, Donaldson went back to being ABC's Chief White House correspondent.
Later Career The Sam Donaldson Show radio program went live in America from 2001-04. In February of 2009, he was a full-time employee of ABC News.
Interesting Facts -Sam Donaldson was the first person to broadcast
-In 1999-2001, "SamDonaldson@abcnews,com" was the 1st internet only live newsast.
-In 1941, after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, his mother got a radio and they listened to the war news. Sam was 7 years old.
- In 2004, a 14 year-old boy was accused of shooting and killing his father, stepmother, and stepsister on the Hondo ranch owned by Sam Donaldson. The boy's father, Delbert P. Posey, had managed the ranch. According to the New York Times, the boy told authorities that his father abused him regularly. The boy, Cody Posey was charged with three accounts of murder. (Sam Donaldson was the first to report a disturbance at the Posey home. He did not see the bodies, but found the home littered with broken glass and blood spatter on July 6, 2004, and went to police.)