Ted Koppel

Edward James Martin "Ted" Koppel (born 8 February 1940) is an American broadcast journalist, best known as the anchor for Nightline from the program's inception in 1980 until his retirement in late 2005. After leaving Nightline, Koppel worked as managing editor for the Discovery Channel, a news analyst for NPR and BBC World News America and a contributor to Rock Center with Brian Williams. Koppel is currently a special contributor to CBS News Sunday Morning. 2Early life and education Koppel, an only child, was born in Nelson, England, after his German Jewish parents fled Germany following the rise of Adolf Hitler and Nazism. In 1953, when he was 13, the family immigrated to the United States. His mother, Alice, was a singer and pianist, and his father, Edwin, was a tire factory owner. After attending the McBurney School, a private preparatory institution in New York, he attended and graduated from Syracuse University with a Bachelor of Science degree, and from Stanford University with a Master of Arts degree in mass communications research and political science. In 1987, he received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Duke University. In August 2006, the University of Southern California awarded Koppel an honorary Doctor of Laws degree. Koppel returns to Syracuse University regularly as a guest speake