Judy Woodruff, senior correspondent for the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) News Hour, was awarded the Brien McMahon Memorial Award for Distinguished Public Service on Tuesday, Oct. 7. The award was presented by Laura Zeifang, FCRH ’10, President of the Alumni Chapter of Washington, D.C.
According to Ainsley Woakes, senior director of Alumni Relations for Regional Outreach, Woodruff was selected as honoree of the Brien McMahon Memorial Award by the Fordham Alumni Chapter of Washington D.C.’s alumni council. Woakes traveled to the nation’s capital for the ceremony alongside colleague Samuel Kennedy, assistant director of Alumni Relations for Regional Outreach.
Other members of Fordham University’s administration who were present at the award ceremony included Roger Milici, vice president for Development and University Relations, Michael Griffin, associate vice president for Alumni Relations and Athletics Development and Travis Proulx, vice president for External Affairs. President Tania Tetlow was also in attendance, according to Jennifer Petra, associate vice president for University Communications.
The award was established in 1962 by the Board of Directors of the Fordham Alumni Chapter in D.C., and was named for Brien McMahon, a 1924 Fordham graduate. After graduating from Fordham, McMahon received a law degree from Yale Law School in 1927, before becoming a U.S. Senator from Connecticut in 1945. His prosperous career in passing the Atomic Energy Act in 1946, among several other achievements, was restricted due to a cancer diagnosis that led to his death at age 48.
Distinguished and honorable Fordham-connected recipients of the award include Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta, President emeritus Rev. Laurence J. McGinley, President Emeritus Rev. Joseph A. O’Hare, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Vincent Lombardi, FCRH ’37.
According to the award’s description, “[t]his award is a non-partisan, non-sectarian award intended to give recognition to a worthy candidate who has rendered distinguished public service that reflects the ideals of Fordham University in the profession or vocation of the person’s choice.”
Woodruff was born on Nov. 20, 1946, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to William H. Woodruff and Anna Lee Woodruff. She graduated from Duke University in 1968 and began work as a secretary for the American Broadcasting Company’s (ABC) affiliate branch in Atlanta, Georgia. By 1975, she transferred to the National Broadcasting Company as a general-assignment reporter, still based out of Atlanta. She was assigned to follow the late Jimmy Carter’s presidential campaign and moved to the nation’s capital following his inauguration.
Woodruff began her career at PBS in 1983. She famously served as the managing editor and head anchor of “PBS News Hour” until 2022. She covered every presidential race from the 1976 election through the 2020 election. Her career in politics includes serving as a moderator for presidential debates and interviewing numerous heads of state.
Woodruff has a history of influence at Fordham, most notably when she received the Charles Osgood Award for Excellence in Broadcast Journalism at WFUV’s 2017 Gala. Charles Osgood, FCRH ’54, presented the award to Woodruff and other recipients via video on the day of the event. Woodruff is also a published author of “This Is Judy Woodruff at the White House,” which details her career in journalism.
Michael Griffin, associate vice president for Alumni Relations and Athletics Development, shared a statement on the ceremony.
“The event hosted by our alumni chapter of Washington, D.C. is one of the highlights of our annual series of visits [and] events with Fordham alumni around the globe,” Griffin said in an email.
He reflected on the history of the award, dating back to McMahon.
“This year’s winner, journalist Judy Woodruff, graciously accepted the award and offered heartfelt appreciation in her remarks,” Griffin said. “She now joins an impressive list of previous winners including alums such as Gen. Jack Keane, Vince Lombardi, and Fr. Joseph O’Hare SJ; along with others who have made an impact on humanity including John McCain, Mother Teresa, and Justice Sonia Sotomayor.”
