- Edie Huggins
Infobox Person
name = Edie Huggins
image_size = 162px
caption =
birth_date =August 14 ,1935
birth_place =St. Joseph, Missouri
death_date =July 29 ,2008
death_place =Philadelphia ,Pennsylvania Edie Huggins (
August 14 ,1935 –July 29 ,2008 ) was an American televisionreporter ,journalist and broadcaster. Huggins was one of the firstAfrican American women to report on television inPhiladelphia . cite news |first=Sam Wood |last= Michael Klein |title=Edie Huggins, beloved WCAU broadcaster, dies|url=http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/26055894.html |work=Philadelphia Inquirer |publisher=|date=2008-07-29 |accessdate=2008-08-18] She began her career in localtelevision news in 1966 by joiningWCAU-TV and remained a fixture on thePhiladelphia station for the next 42 years. cite news |first=John F. |last=Morrison |title=Respected & celebrated TV pioneer dies at 72
url=http://www.philly.com/dailynews/obituaries/20080730_Respected___celebrated_TV_pioneer_dies_at_72.html|work=Philadelphia Daily News |publisher=|date=2008-07-30 |accessdate=2008-08-18] Huggins enjoyed the longest consecutive television run of any Philadelphia TV news reporter in history through her tenure with WCAU.Biography
Early life and career
Huggins was born Edith "Eddie" Lou Thompson cite news |first=Alonzo |last=Weston|title=Pioneer left mark on TV |url=http://www.stjoenews.net/news/2008/aug/06/pioneer-left-mark-tv/?opinion|work=
St. Joseph News-Press |publisher=|date=2008-08-06 |accessdate=2008-08-23] onAugust 14 ,1935 , inSaint Joseph, Missouri . She became known as Edie (pronounced "Eedee") later in life. She graduated from Bartlett High School in St. Joseph in 1953. Huggins, who still went by her given name of Edith at the time, graduatedcum laude with abachelor's degree in science from theState University of New York at Plattsburgh .Huggins began her career by working as a
registered nurse inNew York City . She was employed by both Bellevue Hospital and Flower-Fifth Avenue Hospital. cite news |first=Melissa |last=Dribben|title=Edie Huggins 1935–2008: A versatile, dogged, endearing NBC10 face
url=http://www.philly.com/inquirer/obituaries/20080730_A_versatile__dogged__endearing_NBC10_face.html|work=Philadelphia Inquirer |publisher=|date=2008-07-30 |accessdate=2008-08-18] Simultaneously, Huggins was hired as aconsultant for theNBC daytimesoap opera , "The Doctors", which began airing in 1963. Her consulting working soon led toacting roles on the drama. Her other soap opera acting credits included "Love of Life " and "The Edge of Night " which were aired onCBS . Huggins was also cast in the 1966film , "A Man Called Adam" oppositeSammy Davis Jr ,Ossie Davis ,Frank Sinatra Jr. andLouis Armstrong .WCAU-TV
Huggins was initially hired as a features reporter at
WCAU-TV ofPhiladelphia in 1966 for a show called "The Big News Team withJohn Facenda " following a chance encounter with abroadcast executive in a New York City restaurant. That executive wasBruce Bryan , thegeneral manager of WCAU-TV, cite news |first=|last=|title=Huggins Says She Wants To Be Remembered As Someone Who Cares |url=http://www.nbc10.com/news/17031520/detail.html|work=WCAU-TV |publisher=|date=2008-07-30 |accessdate=2008-08-23] or Channel 10, which was aCBS network affiliate at the time. Huggins, a single mother, arrived in Philadelphia for her new job with her two children and just 65 dollars.In a 2006
interview for her 40thanniversary with WCAU, Huggins confided that she had been hired despite a lack on-air,live television experience. She stated that the reason that she was hired was to compete against the then-local NBC affiliate,KYW-TV , which had just hired its first African American woman reporter,Trudy Haynes . Huggins, herself, made history when she joined WCAU by becoming the station's first African American female reporter.Following her success on WCAU, the
management of the television station gave Huggins her own show, "Morning Side". Huggins also co-hosted a midday news show called "What's Happening" during the early 1970s withHerb Clark , a now-retired WCAU weatherman. Her other shows on WCAU included "Horizons" and "Huggins' Heroes", which focused on ordinary local people who had accomplished notable achivements, especially for the benefit of the larger community. "Huggins Heroes" became a weekly profile feature on WCAU news broadcasts during the 1990s and 2000s, and highlighted Huggins' reputation as a reporter who focused on "unsung heroes" throughout the Philadelphia region.In 2006, the
Philadelphia City Council honored Huggins on her 40th anniversary at WCAU (by then anNBC affiliate) by proclaiming "Edie Huggins Day" in the city. "Edie Huggins Day" was officially proclaimed with a resolution onMarch 30 ,2006 .Huggins other career honors included her induction into the
Philadelphia Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame . She was also chosen by theUrban League of Philadelphia as one of the "Outstanding African American Philadelphians of the 20th century." She was also honored by the Philadelphia Chapter ofAmerican Women in Radio & Television as Communicator of the Year, awarded alifetime achievement award by the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists and earned an award from theNational Academy of Television Arts & Sciences .Huggins was a founding member of the
National Association of Black Journalists . Professionally, Huggins was often cited by colleagues as amentor and was affectionately referred to as "Miss Edie" by younger reporters and staff throughout the Philadelphia television news industry.In 2006, Huggins was cast in the lead role in the
independent film , "So Big ". The film debuted onMay 3 ,2008 , at International House in Philadelphia.Death
Edie Huggins died of
lung cancer onJuly 29 ,2008 , at the age of 72. She was survived by her two children, Hastings Edward Huggins and Laurie Linn. A memorial service held at Huggins' church, Bright Hope Baptist Church, inNorth Philadelphia was attended by many members of Philadelphia's media.References
External links
* [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25921750/ MSNBC: Huggins Says She Wants To Be Remembered As Someone Who Cares]
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