Cassie Mackin
Encyclopedia
Catherine Patricia "Cassie" Mackin (28 August 1939 - 20 November 1982) was a pioneer woman journalist in United States television network broadcasting. In 1976 she became the first woman to regularly anchor an evening network newscast alone. In the early 1970s she anchored a WRC-TV
newscast and in 1972 became NBC's first female correspondent to serve as a floor reporter at the national political conventions.
before entering Washington College
in 1956. A year later she transferred to the University of Maryland at College Park. While a student there, she worked for the now defunct Free State Press, a weekly paper published in suburban Washington, D.C.
She graduated magna cum laude in June 1960 with a B.A. degree in English and minors in economics and history.
. Beginning as a general assignment reporter, she held a variety of positions before she left the paper in 1963. Between 1960 and 1962 she made guest appearances on both a Baltimore news panel show and on a morning variety show. From 1963 until 1969, Mackin was employed by the Hearst Newspapers in their Washington Bureau. During the six years she worked for Hearst, she covered the Justice Department
, numerous elections, and presidential campaigns, polishing the talents that would make her a successful national news correspondent.
In 1967, Mackin became one of the few women to receive a Nieman Fellowship
to Harvard University
, where she studied the history of political institutions. Hired by NBC in 1969, she anchored a half-hour newscast at WRC-TV, the Washington affiliate of NBC
, in addition to her reporting responsibilities. Mackin received national attention three years later when she became that network's first woman floor reporter at the Democratic and Republican presidential conventions. Her work contributed to the subsequent award of an Emmy to the NBC news team for its coverage. Her report later that year on President Nixon's re-election campaign, in which she stated that the President was saying things about opponent George McGovern that were untrue, was highlighted in Timothy Crouse's book, The Boys on the Bus
. After a brief stint in Los Angeles
, Mackin returned to Washington D.C., to become the Sunday evening anchor and congressional correspondent in 1974.
When Barbara Walters
left The Today Show in 1976, Mackin was one of six candidates were tested on air to replace her. On December 12, 1976, Mackin took over on the NBC's Sunday Night News becoming the first woman to solely anchor an evening network newscast on a regular basis.
ABC News
President Roone Arledge
offered Mackin a salary of $100,000, an unprecedented salary for a national correspondent. In September 1977 she joined ABC
as their Washington correspondent, temporarily covering the Senate. She also worked on a 20/20 story about drunk driving, for which she received another Emmy in 1981. Assigned to the 1980 presidential campaign, Mackin spent a good portion of the year following Senator Edward Kennedy
around the country.
WRC-TV
WRC-TV, channel 4, is an owned and operated television station of the NBC television network, located in the American capital city of Washington, D.C...
newscast and in 1972 became NBC's first female correspondent to serve as a floor reporter at the national political conventions.
Early years
Mackin was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. She won a four-year scholarship to the Institute of Notre DameInstitute of Notre Dame
The Institute of Notre Dame is a private Catholic all-girls high school located in Baltimore, Maryland. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore.-History:...
before entering Washington College
Washington College
Washington College is a private, independent liberal arts college located on a campus in Chestertown, Maryland, on the Eastern Shore. Maryland granted Washington College its charter in 1782...
in 1956. A year later she transferred to the University of Maryland at College Park. While a student there, she worked for the now defunct Free State Press, a weekly paper published in suburban Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
She graduated magna cum laude in June 1960 with a B.A. degree in English and minors in economics and history.
Career
After graduation, Mackin obtained a position at the Baltimore News-AmericanBaltimore News-American
The Baltimore News-American was a Baltimore, Maryland, broadsheet newspaper with a continuous lineage of more than two hundred years of Baltimore newspapers. Its final edition was published on May 27, 1986.-History:...
. Beginning as a general assignment reporter, she held a variety of positions before she left the paper in 1963. Between 1960 and 1962 she made guest appearances on both a Baltimore news panel show and on a morning variety show. From 1963 until 1969, Mackin was employed by the Hearst Newspapers in their Washington Bureau. During the six years she worked for Hearst, she covered the Justice Department
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
, numerous elections, and presidential campaigns, polishing the talents that would make her a successful national news correspondent.
In 1967, Mackin became one of the few women to receive a Nieman Fellowship
Nieman Fellowship
The Nieman Fellowship is an award given to mid-career journalists by The Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University. This award allows winners time to reflect on their careers and focus on honing their skills....
to Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, where she studied the history of political institutions. Hired by NBC in 1969, she anchored a half-hour newscast at WRC-TV, the Washington affiliate of NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, in addition to her reporting responsibilities. Mackin received national attention three years later when she became that network's first woman floor reporter at the Democratic and Republican presidential conventions. Her work contributed to the subsequent award of an Emmy to the NBC news team for its coverage. Her report later that year on President Nixon's re-election campaign, in which she stated that the President was saying things about opponent George McGovern that were untrue, was highlighted in Timothy Crouse's book, The Boys on the Bus
The Boys on the Bus
The Boys on the Bus is author Timothy Crouse's seminal non-fiction book detailing life on the road for reporters covering the 1972 United States presidential campaign....
. After a brief stint in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Mackin returned to Washington D.C., to become the Sunday evening anchor and congressional correspondent in 1974.
When Barbara Walters
Barbara Walters
Barbara Jill Walters is an American broadcast journalist, author, and television personality. She has hosted morning television shows , the television newsmagazine , former co-anchor of the ABC Evening News, and current contributor to ABC News.Walters was first known as a popular TV morning news...
left The Today Show in 1976, Mackin was one of six candidates were tested on air to replace her. On December 12, 1976, Mackin took over on the NBC's Sunday Night News becoming the first woman to solely anchor an evening network newscast on a regular basis.
ABC News
ABC News
ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
President Roone Arledge
Roone Arledge
Roone Pickney Arledge, Jr. was an American sports broadcasting pioneer who was chairman of ABC News from 1977 until several years before his death, and a key part of the company's rise to competition with the two other main television networks, NBC and CBS, in the 1960s, '70s, and '80s.-Early...
offered Mackin a salary of $100,000, an unprecedented salary for a national correspondent. In September 1977 she joined ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
as their Washington correspondent, temporarily covering the Senate. She also worked on a 20/20 story about drunk driving, for which she received another Emmy in 1981. Assigned to the 1980 presidential campaign, Mackin spent a good portion of the year following Senator Edward Kennedy
Ted Kennedy
Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy was a United States Senator from Massachusetts and a member of the Democratic Party. Serving almost 47 years, he was the second most senior member of the Senate when he died and is the fourth-longest-serving senator in United States history...
around the country.
Death
Terminally ill with cancer, Cassie Mackin moved to Baltimore in October 1981 to live with her sister, Margaret. She died in Baltimore, aged 43.External links
- http://www.lib.umd.edu/archivesum/actions.DisplayEADDoc.do?source=MdU.ead.histms.0100.xml&style=ead
- http://www.q-and-a.org/Transcript/?ProgramID=1072