Tom Ashbrook
Encyclopedia
Tom Ashbrook is an American
journalist
and radio broadcaster. He hosts the public radio call-in program, On Point
.
, he studied American history at Yale University
and Gandhi's independence movement at Andhra University
in India. His family was so poor that he was forced to hitch a ride in a pig truck in order to get to Yale from Bloomington.
as a surveyor and dynamiter of oil fields before leaving for Asia
, where he spent a decade as a foreign correspondent in India
, Hong Kong
, and Tokyo
. His first newspaper job was at the South China Morning Post
. During the late 1980s, Ashbrook became foreign editor for The Boston Globe
.
Ashbrook was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University
during which time he decided to leave the Globe in 1996 and create an internet startup with college friend Rolly Rouse. This company eventually became http://www.homeportfolio.com/. Ashbrook wrote a book called The Leap about his experience in Internet entrepreneurship, and currently hosts the National Public Radio show On Point
. Ashbrook underwent heart bypass surgery in November 2007 and was off air until January 2, 2008, when he discussed his medical journey in a show with his doctors and nurses.
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and radio broadcaster. He hosts the public radio call-in program, On Point
On Point
On Point is a two-hour call-in radio show hosted by Tom Ashbrook, a former The Boston Globe foreign editor and reporter, author and Internet entrepreneur. It is produced by WBUR in Boston and syndicated by National Public Radio...
.
Early life and education
Born in 1956 on a farm in Bloomington, IllinoisBloomington, Illinois
Bloomington is a city in McLean County, Illinois, United States and the county seat. It is adjacent to Normal, Illinois, and is the more populous of the two principal municipalities of the Bloomington-Normal metropolitan area...
, he studied American history at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
and Gandhi's independence movement at Andhra University
Andhra University
Andhra University or Andhra Viswa Kala Parishad , located in Visakhapatnam, north east coastal Andhra Pradesh, is one of the older premier universities in India with a broad focus...
in India. His family was so poor that he was forced to hitch a ride in a pig truck in order to get to Yale from Bloomington.
Career
Ashbrook worked in AlaskaAlaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
as a surveyor and dynamiter of oil fields before leaving for Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, where he spent a decade as a foreign correspondent in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, and Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. His first newspaper job was at the South China Morning Post
South China Morning Post
The South China Morning Post , together with its Sunday edition, the Sunday Morning Post, is an English-language Hong Kong newspaper, published by the SCMP Group with a circulation of 104,000....
. During the late 1980s, Ashbrook became foreign editor for The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
.
Ashbrook was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
during which time he decided to leave the Globe in 1996 and create an internet startup with college friend Rolly Rouse. This company eventually became http://www.homeportfolio.com/. Ashbrook wrote a book called The Leap about his experience in Internet entrepreneurship, and currently hosts the National Public Radio show On Point
On Point
On Point is a two-hour call-in radio show hosted by Tom Ashbrook, a former The Boston Globe foreign editor and reporter, author and Internet entrepreneur. It is produced by WBUR in Boston and syndicated by National Public Radio...
. Ashbrook underwent heart bypass surgery in November 2007 and was off air until January 2, 2008, when he discussed his medical journey in a show with his doctors and nurses.
Personal life
Tom Ashbrook has a wife, a daughter, and two sons. He lives in Newton, MassachusettsNewton, Massachusetts
Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States bordered to the east by Boston. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Newton was 85,146, making it the eleventh largest city in the state.-Villages:...
.