Betty Nguyen
Encyclopedia
Betty Nguyen is an American
news anchor with CBS News. Nguyen joined CBS News on March 11, 2010. She anchors the The CBS Morning News and is a correspondent for The Early Show
.
and Scottish American descent. Nguyen and her family left Vietnam for the United States
in April 1975. She grew up in Fort Worth, Texas and attended the University of Texas at Austin
. Nguyen was a cheerleader during her younger days, and a member of the Zeta Tau Alpha
sorority in college. Nguyen graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism.
Before becoming a network anchor and correspondent for CBS News, Nguyen anchored the weekend morning edition of CNN Newsroom. She spent six years at CNN covering major news events including the earthquake in Haiti, presidential elections in Africa, hurricane Katrina, the death of Pope John Paul II, and went on an undercover assignment in Myanmar. Prior to that, Nguyen was an anchor at KTVT-TV, the CBS affiliate in Dallas, where she covered numerous breaking news events, including the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. Nguyen began her career as a morning anchor and reporter at KWTX-TV, the CBS affiliate in Waco, Texas.
In 2007, the Smithsonian Institution recognized Nguyen as the first Vietnamese-American to anchor a national television news broadcast in the United States. According to Maxim.com, Nguyen was named one of "TV´s 10 Hottest News Anchors" in 2008. In 2011, she was listed as one of "The 10 Most Stylish Anchors & Reporters" by The Huffington Post.
She spent a short time as a freelance correspondent for E! Entertainment Network. Nguyen has hosted several specials and was featured as a reporter on episodes of Walker, Texas Ranger
. She can also be seen in Spike Lee's "When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts".
Nguyen is a Dallas Mavericks
and Dallas Cowboys fan as well as a fan of the Texas Longhorns, her alma mater.
when her family fled South Vietnam
. From a CNN videotape, she speaks about her father.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
news anchor with CBS News. Nguyen joined CBS News on March 11, 2010. She anchors the The CBS Morning News and is a correspondent for The Early Show
The Early Show
The Early Show is an American television morning news talk show broadcast by CBS from New York City. The program airs live from 7 to 9 a.m. Eastern Time Monday through Friday; most affiliates in the Central, Mountain, and Pacific time zones air the show on tape-delay from 7 to 9 a.m. local time. ...
.
Life and career
Nguyen was born in Saigon, Vietnam. She is of VietnameseVietnamese people
The Vietnamese people are an ethnic group originating from present-day northern Vietnam and southern China. They are the majority ethnic group of Vietnam, comprising 86% of the population as of the 1999 census, and are officially known as Kinh to distinguish them from other ethnic groups in Vietnam...
and Scottish American descent. Nguyen and her family left Vietnam for the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in April 1975. She grew up in Fort Worth, Texas and attended the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
. Nguyen was a cheerleader during her younger days, and a member of the Zeta Tau Alpha
Zeta Tau Alpha
Zeta Tau Alpha is a women's fraternity, founded October 15, 1898 at the State Female Normal School in Farmville, Virginia. The Executive office is located in Indianapolis, Indiana...
sorority in college. Nguyen graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism.
Before becoming a network anchor and correspondent for CBS News, Nguyen anchored the weekend morning edition of CNN Newsroom. She spent six years at CNN covering major news events including the earthquake in Haiti, presidential elections in Africa, hurricane Katrina, the death of Pope John Paul II, and went on an undercover assignment in Myanmar. Prior to that, Nguyen was an anchor at KTVT-TV, the CBS affiliate in Dallas, where she covered numerous breaking news events, including the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. Nguyen began her career as a morning anchor and reporter at KWTX-TV, the CBS affiliate in Waco, Texas.
In 2007, the Smithsonian Institution recognized Nguyen as the first Vietnamese-American to anchor a national television news broadcast in the United States. According to Maxim.com, Nguyen was named one of "TV´s 10 Hottest News Anchors" in 2008. In 2011, she was listed as one of "The 10 Most Stylish Anchors & Reporters" by The Huffington Post.
She spent a short time as a freelance correspondent for E! Entertainment Network. Nguyen has hosted several specials and was featured as a reporter on episodes of Walker, Texas Ranger
Walker, Texas Ranger
Walker, Texas Ranger is an American television action crime drama series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis, and starring Chuck Norris as a member of the Texas Ranger Division. The show aired on CBS in the spring of 1993, with the first season consisting of three pilot episodes. Eight full...
. She can also be seen in Spike Lee's "When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts".
Nguyen is a Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
and Dallas Cowboys fan as well as a fan of the Texas Longhorns, her alma mater.
Fleeing Vietnam
Nguyen was "not even a year old" toward the end of the Vietnam WarVietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
when her family fled South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
. From a CNN videotape, she speaks about her father.
Board Membership and Affiliations
- Co-founder of Help the Hungry
- Member of the Asian American Journalists Association
- 2003 Regional Emmy award for "Outstanding Noon Newscast"
- 2003 Legacy of Women Award recipient at the 11th annual Legacy of Women awards luncheon
- 2003 Great Women of Texas: Women of Influence Honoree, an honor presented by the Fort Worth Business Press
- 2007 Golden Torch Award recipient, an honor from the Vietnamese American National Gala (VANG)
- 2008 Outstanding Young Texas Exes Award recipient
- 2008 My Hero recipient, which is CNN's internal Hero of the Year awards called My Heroes
- 2009 Andrew Heiskell Community Service Award recipient at 28th annual Andrew Heiskell Community Service awards luncheon
- 2010 ZTA Foundation Outstanding Alumna Award
External links
- Betty Nguyen CBS Profile
- Betty Nguyen's Twitter page
- Betty Nguyen's Facebook page
- Help the Hungry
- Betty Nguyen and the Dallas Mavericks
- BN Magazine: Up-Close
- Nguoi Viet Online Profile: Betty Nguyen
- CNN's first Vietnamese voice: on the air and on the record
- Betty Nguyen discusses her Hapa identity
- 10 Most Stylish TV Anchors & Reporters