David Gregory

David Gregory established himself as one of America's hardest working journalists within his first year at NBC News, covering such major events as the Oklahoma City bombing and the murder trial of O.J. Simpson. At 6'5" with his shock of prematurely gray hair, Gregory became a recognizable figure in broadcast news, particularly as a contentious White House correspondent to the administration of President George W. Bush. Despite the frequently heated rhetoric between Gregory and the White House press secretaries, he was the only reporter invited to travel to Ground Zero with the president three days after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Gregory would also become one of television's most prominent personalities, serving as a correspondent on "NBC Nightly News" (NBC, 1970- ) and backup co-host on "Today" (NBC, 1952- ), as well as making regular appearances on such talk shows as "The Tonight Show" (NBC, 1962- ) and "The Daily Show" (Comedy Central, 1996- ). In 2007, Gregory was named in the trial of vice presidential advisor, "Scooter" Libby as one of the reporters to whom Libby had leaked the identity of CIA operative Valerie Plame. Nevertheless, in 2008, Gregory was tapped as the new host of the long-running political news program, "Meet the Press" (NBC, 1947- ). Through the years, Gregory proved to be that rare combination of serious newsman and entertainer, whose witty and light-hearted observations of popular culture never detracted from the intelligence and gravitas of his reporting.