Over the years, Ms. Walters has received national recognition for her work and has been the recipient of numerous prestigious awards. Just in the past few years, Ms. Walters was: 1) inducted into the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences' Hall of Fame "for being acknowledged worldwide as one of television's most respected interviewers and journalists," 1990; 2) Honored with the Lowell Thomas Award for a career in journalism excellence by Marist College, 1990; 3) Honored by the Overseas Press Club with their highest award, the President's Award, 1988; 4)ÊHonored by the Museum of Broadcasting with a retrospective of her distinguished career, 1988; 5) Saluted by the American Museum of the Moving Image, March 19, 1992; 6) Lifetime Achievement Award, International Women's Media Foundation, 1991; 7) Lifetime Achievement Award, Women's Project and Productions, 1993.

Ms. Walter's numerous and timely interviews -- which appear regularly on the weekly newsmagazine 20/20 and on "The Barbara Walters Specials" -- read like a "Who's Who" of newsmakers. She has interviewed every American President since Richard Nixon. She made journalism history by arranging the first joint interview with Egypt's President Anwar Sadat and Israel's Prime Minister Menachem Begin in November, 1977. Another of her "firsts" was an hour-long prime time conversation with Cuban President Fidel Castro -- an interview which has been printed in half a dozen languages and shown all over the world.

Ms. Walters had the first formal interview with General Colin Powell since he retired as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. She also interviewed Olympic diving champion Greg Louganis, who revealed for the first time that he has AIDS and was HIV-positive when he competed in the 1988 Olympics; billionaire producer and entrepreneur David Geffen in his first-ever television interview; Lady Bird Johnson, who spoke about her days in the White House and the current attacks on her late husband's "Great Society" programs; and David Smith, whose ex-wife, Susan, was arrested for killing her children. Ms. Walters also had several exclusive interviews with principals in the O.J. Simpson trial.

"The Barbara Walters Specials" are continuously the top-rated specials of the year. Among those she interviewed during the 1994-95 television season were Brett Butler, Heather Locklear, Kelsey Grammer, Liam Neeson, Michael Douglas and Jim Carrey.

In 1988, Barbara Walters marked her 50th "Barbara Walters Special" with a two-hour anniversary broadcast. It featured moments from many of Ms. Walters most memorable "Specials" interviews from the previous 12 years, including final interviews with Bing Crosby, John Wayne, Bette Davis, Laurence Olivier and the Shah of Iran.

Ms. Walters joined ABC News in 1976 as the first woman to co-host the network news. In 1984, she joined Hugh Downs as host of the ABC newsmagazine, 20/20.

Prior to joining ABC, she appeared on NBC's "Today Show" for 15 years, longer than any other woman on the program. She began on the "Today Show" as a writer, and within a year became a reporter-at-large, developing, writing and editing her own reports and interviews. In 1974, NBC officially designated her as the program's first female co-host.

Ms. Walters was a member of the NBC News team that went to the People's Republic of China to cover the visits of President Richard Nixon in 1972 and President Gerald Ford in 1975.

In addition to her responsibilities on the "Today Show," she hosted her own highly popular syndicated series, "Not for Women Only," for five years and contributed on a regular basis to the NBC Radio Network.

Early in her career, she was a writer for CBS News and before that, she was the youngest producer with NBC-TV's New York station (WNBC-TV).

Ms. Walters is the recipient of honorary doctoral degrees from Ohio State University, Temple University, Marymount College, Wheaton College and Hofstra University.

A native of Boston, Ms. Walters is the daughter of the famed entertainment impresario, Lou Walters. She is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College, and has one daughter, Jacqueline.

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