TRACY ROWLETT

Tracy began his professional career as a sports reporter for The Wichita Beacon in Wichita, Kansas. During four years in the Air Force, he was editor of a base newspaper and a magazine writer. He later worked for Armed Forces Radio and Television at Wheelus Air Base in Tripoli, Libya. He was on duty in Tripoli when John F. Kennedy was shot in Dallas, and for the next three days and nights, grabbing only short naps when he could, Tracy reported the events surrounding the assassination and Kennedy's funeral. That experience convinced him to switch from print to radio and television.

Upon discharge from the military, Tracy worked at KFH Radio and as news director for KAKE Radio and Television, Wichita, Kansas; as news director at KMNS in Sioux City, Iowa; state capitol correspondent for KTOK and the Oklahoma News Network, Oklahoma City; and anchor, reporter and managing editor at KWTV, Oklahoma City.

Tracy moved to Dallas / Fort Worth in April 1974 as an investigative reporter for WFAA-TV, and became the 6pm and 10pm anchor in August 1975, a position he held until signing with CBS 11 News in April 1999.

His distinguished career includes two Dupont-Columbia awards (considered the Pulitzer Prize for broadcast journalism), the Murrow award, two silver gavel awards from the National Bar Association, several Emmy Awards, various Associated Press and United Press International awards, a dozen Dallas Press Club Katie awards, for a total of more than 100 awards in all. He has been honored by the TCU journalism department with its Ethics Award, and is recipient of the Dallas Press Club's Buck Maryatt award for a lifetime dedicated to the best in journalism.

Tracy received a B.A. in broadcasting and journalism from Wichita State University and an M.A. from the University of Texas at Dallas.

Along with his wife, Jill, Tracy is deeply involved in community activities in Dallas / Fort Worth, serving such organizations as The Autism Treatment Center, Children's Medical Center, Easter Seals, The Heart Association, The Kidney Foundation, The Arthritis Foundation, The March of Dimes, United Way, The Epilepsy Foundation, and many others. He has received numerous community awards for his charity work, and was twice named "Father of the Year."