One of the most beloved members of the NBC 5 family is celebrating a major milestone.
Entertainment correspondent, Bobbie Wygant, 90-years-old on Tuesday, was born Roberta Frances Connolly on November 22, 1926 in Lafayette, Indiana.
Wygant earned a degree in broadcasting and psychology from Purdue University and moved to Texas after graduation.
She married Phil Wygant, a long time program director at WBAP-TV. Her husband of 38 years died in 1986.
She started at KXAS-TV, which was then WBAP, in 1948 and quickly became known for the way she connected with celebrities.
From Bob Hope to Jane Fonda to Gwyneth Paltrow to Gene Wilder to Matt Damon, Bobbie has interviewed just about every notable newsmaker.
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Wygant was live on the air with her popular midday program on November 22, 1963 when news of JFK’s assassination came into the newsroom interrupting her program several times.
She received the National “Critic’s Critic” Award by the Broadcast Film Critics Association in Los Angeles in 2000.
In 2004, Wygant was inducted into the Gold Circle of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for 50 years of contributions to television broadcasting joining such luminaries as Walter Cronkite.
She received the "Gracie Award" in 2014 for Outstanding Reporter/Correspondent presented by the Alliance for Women In Media, a national non-profit organization whose mission is to advance the impact of women in the media.
“The Gracie Award is named for Gracie Allen, wife of George Burns, whom I interviewed many times. George worked until two years before he died at 100. I’d like to do the same,” said Wygant.
Wygant's career in television spans nearly seven decades. She continues to do what she loves - working at NBC 5 as a freelance arts and entertainment reporter.
Happy birthday, Bobbie!
