Tom Jarriel was an Emmy Award-winning television journalist best known as a longtime ABC News anchor and correspondent on “20/20.”
- Died: October 24, 2024 (Who else died October 24?)
- Details of death: Died at the age of 89.
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Tom Jarriel’s legacy
Born in Georgia but spending his formative years in Shreveport, Louisiana, Jarriel was a 1952 graduate of Byrd High School, then went to the University of Houston on a tennis scholarship. There, he earned his degree in radio and television. Jarriel started his career working as a copy boy at KPRC-TV in Houston, where he eagerly learned the ropes of broadcast journalism.
In 1965, he made the leap to ABC News, taking a correspondent’s position in their Atlanta bureau. His coverage of the 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. thrust him into the national spotlight, resulting in a promotion to chief White House correspondent the following year. In that position, he covered presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford.
In 1979, Jarriel became anchor of ABC’s “Weekend Report” and also became a correspondent for the network’s then-new prestige news show, “20/20.” His work there earned him six Emmy Awards from 1981 to 1991. He retired in 2002 after 38 years with ABC News.
Tributes to Tom Jarriel
Full obituary: ABC News
