Kelly O'Donnell
{{Short description|American journalist}}
{{for|the Australian footballer and coach|Kelly O'Donnell (footballer)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Kelly O'Donnell
| image = File:Kelly O'Donnell at the 2016 DNC.jpg
| caption = Kelly O'Donnell reporting at the 2016 Democratic National Convention
| birthname =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1965|05|17}}
| birth_place = Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.{{cite web|url=http://www.clevelandseniors.com/people/virgil-dominic.htm|title=Virgil Dominic|website=www.clevelandseniors.com}}
| death_date =
| death_place =
| education = Northwestern University (BSc)
| occupation = Journalist
Anchor
| years_active =
| spouse = J. David Ake{{cite web |url= http://alumni.northwestern.edu/node/4661 |publisher=Northwestern Alumni Association |date=2006-05-07 |title=Alumni Bio}}
| children =
| credits = NBC News anchor, NBC Nightly News correspondent
| website =
}}
Kelly O'Donnell (born May 17, 1965) is an American journalist. She is the chief justice and national affairs correspondent for NBC News covering the Justice Department. She appears on NBC Nightly News, Today, Meet The Press, and MSNBC.
Background
In 1987, O'Donnell graduated from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Science in Education degree, focusing on a combined course of study in journalism and public policy.
In the 1990s, O'Donnell served as a reporter and anchor at WJW TV in Cleveland, Ohio. At this time, O'Donnell worked with former NBC reporter Martin Savidge, when WJW was still a CBS station in Cleveland.
Beginning in 1994, O'Donnell followed a broad range of stories as an NBC News correspondent based in New York City and Los Angeles.
O'Donnell was{{when|date=June 2025}} a regular panelist on The Chris Matthews Show until it was canceled.{{cite news |date=2008-06-08 |work=NBC News |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna25044937 |title='Meet the Press' transcript for June 8, 2008}} She had served as news anchor and substitute host on the Weekend Today program and the weekend edition of Nightly News. She has contributed reports to the primetime news magazine Dateline NBC. She served as White House correspondent for NBC News during the second term of George W. Bush; following the 2008 presidential campaign season, she became Capitol Hill correspondent.{{cite web |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna3688927 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040215172842/http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3688927/ |url-status=live |archive-date=2004-02-15 |work=NBC Nightly News With Brian Williams |title=Kelly O'Donnell biography |date=12 December 2003 |access-date=2008-06-16}}
O'Donnell has covered the Bush administration, Congress, and several presidential campaigns.{{cite web |url=https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2006/05/20060507-1.html |date=2006-05-07 |work=The White House: Office of the Vice President |title=Interview of the Vice President by Kelly O'Donnell, NBC News}}
In 2016, O'Donnell was the first to report live on television that Hillary Clinton had called Donald Trump over the phone to concede the presidential election.{{cite web |first=Brian|last=Stelter |author-link=Brian Stelter |url=https://money.cnn.com/2017/01/05/media/election-night-news-coverage-oral-history/index.html |date=2017-01-05 |title=In their own words: The story of covering Election Night 2016 |publisher=CNN}}
During the Iraq war, O'Donnell was embedded with the 3rd Infantry Division, stationed in Baghdad and Qatar. In addition, O'Donnell has reported on a wide variety of events, including the Oklahoma City bombing (1995), the O. J. Simpson trial (1995), the September 11 attacks (2001), and the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster (2003). O'Donnell reported on the travels and death of Pope John Paul II. She has also covered both the summer and winter Olympic games.
Honors
O'Donnell was inducted into the Cleveland Journalism Hall of Fame in 2011{{cite web|url=http://www.pressclubcleveland.com/hall-of-fame.aspx|title=The Press Club of Cleveland – Serving and honoring communications professionals since 1887 – Hall of Fame|website=www.pressclubcleveland.com}} and the Ohio Radio/Television Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2004.
She has received the 2014 Alumnae Award and in 2010 the Alumni Merit award from Northwestern University.{{cite web |title=Kelly O'Donnell '87 |url=https://www.alumni.northwestern.edu/s/1479/02-naa/16/landing.aspx?sid=1479&gid=2&pgid=24365 |website=Northwestern Alumni Association |access-date=24 July 2021 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210724235031/https://www.alumni.northwestern.edu/s/1479/02-naa/16/landing.aspx?sid=1479&gid=2&pgid=24365 |archive-date=24 July 2021}} In 2017, O'Donnell was awarded the Northwestern Alumni Medal—the highest honor given by the Northwestern Alumni Association.{{cite web |title=Northwestern Alumni Association honors four alumni |url=https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2017/may/northwestern-alumni-association-honors-four-alumni/ |website=northwestern.edu |access-date=24 July 2021 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210724234500/https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2017/may/northwestern-alumni-association-honors-four-alumni/ |archive-date=24 July 2021}}
She has received many honors, including Emmy awards, a National Headliner award, a New Hampshire Primary Award for Political Reporting, and Los Angeles Press Club awards.
In 2021, she was elected president of the White House Correspondents' Association for 2023–2024.{{cite web |title=NBC News White House Correspondent Kelly O'Donnell Named WHCA President for 2023–'24 |url=https://www.adweek.com/tvnewser/nbc-news-white-house-correspondent-kelly-odonnell-named-whca-president-for-2023-24/482842/ |website=TVNewser, part of the Adweek Network |date=8 July 2021 |access-date=25 July 2021 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210724231427/https://www.adweek.com/tvnewser/nbc-news-white-house-correspondent-kelly-odonnell-named-whca-president-for-2023-24/482842/ |archive-date=24 July 2021}}
Personal life
Kelly grew up in Euclid, Ohio. She graduated Villa Angela Academy (now Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School), a Catholic school in Cleveland.{{cite web |title=Hall of Fame N – Z |url=https://vasj.com/hofn-z |website=Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School |access-date=24 July 2021 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210724202659/https://vasj.com/hofn-z |archive-date=24 July 2021}}
O'Donnell's grandparents on both sides came from Ireland and she maintains Irish citizenship.{{cite web|url=http://www.irishabroad.com/Irishworld/IrishAmericaMag/aprilmay06/features/TheTop100Writersmedia.asp |work=Irish Abroad |title=The Top 100: Writers & media |access-date=2008-09-04 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080514052944/http://www.irishabroad.com/irishworld/irishamericamag/aprilmay06/features/TheTop100Writersmedia.asp |archive-date=May 14, 2008 }} She is married to J. David Ake.{{cite web |title=Press Club of Cleveland Journalism Hall of Fame 2011 – Kelly O'Donnell |url=https://youtube.com/watch?v=esc1dnyd_s0 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725011205/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esc1dnyd_s0 |archive-date=25 July 2021 |website=YouTube |access-date=24 July 2021 |time=9:15 |date=28 October 2011 |quote="...my David, who's been with me for 10 years." |url-status=bot: unknown }}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{cite web |url= https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna3688927 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20040215172842/http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3688927/ |url-status= live |archive-date= 2004-02-15 |work=MSNBC |title=NBC biography |date= 12 December 2003 |access-date=2012-10-31}}
- {{twitter}}
- [http://senatepress.org/events/kelly-odonnell Senate Press]
- {{C-SPAN|46203}}
{{Portal bar|Biography|Journalism|Media|United States}}{{NBC News Personalities}}
{{MSNBC Personalities}}
{{White House press corps}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:ODonnell, Kelly}}
Category:American television reporters and correspondents
Category:American women television journalists
Category:Northwestern University School of Education and Social Policy alumni