Katie Couric

When Katie Couric joined The Today Show in 1991, the oldest of America's morning news programs was floundering in the ratings, but her cheerful personality and unpretentious charm quickly made it the most popular morning show in America. Couric soon proved she was more than a mere television personality. Behind the contagious smile and down-to-earth-manner was an experienced journalist and producer. A former producer and political correspondent for CNN, she won an Emmy Award reporting for the local NBC station in Washington, D.C. As Co-Anchor of Today, her in-depth interviews with U.S. Presidents and other world leaders became news events in their own right. The millions of Americans who started each day with Katie Couric and The Today Show came to see her as a member of the family. When her husband died of colon cancer in 1998, the whole nation grieved with her. This heartfelt connection with the American public has made her an invaluable spokesman for cancer research and detection. Her multi-part documentary report, "Confronting Colon Cancer," was recognized with a Peabody Award, the most coveted honor in television news. After co-anchoring The Today Show for 15 years, Katie Couric made the leap to anchor the CBS Evening News in 2006. She is the first woman to serve as sole anchor of a network evening news program.