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Robert Warren Woodruff (born August 18, 1961) is an American television journalist. Since 1996, he has served as a reporter for
ABC News ABC News is the news division of the American broadcast network ABC. Its flagship program is the daily evening newscast '' ABC World News Tonight with David Muir''; other programs include morning news-talk show ''Good Morning America'', ''Ni ...
. Woodruff co-anchored
ABC World News Tonight ''ABC World News Tonight'' (titled ''ABC World News Tonight with David Muir'' for its weeknight broadcasts since September 2014) is the flagship daily evening television news program of ABC News, the news division of the American Broadcasting ...
in 2006 alongside ABC News journalist
Elizabeth Vargas Elizabeth Anne Vargas (born September 6, 1962) is an American television journalist who is the lead investigative reporter/documentary anchor for A&E Networks, and the host for Fox's revival of ''America's Most Wanted''. She began her new positio ...
. He was severely injured by an IED explosion during a reporting trip to Iraq that January, and slowly recovered over an extended period before returning to air.


Early life and education

Woodruff was born on August 18, 1961, in
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan Bloomfield Hills is a small city (5.04 sq. miles) in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a northern suburb of Metro Detroit and is approximately northwest of Downtown Detroit. Except a small southern border with the city of Birm ...
, the son of Frances Ann (Dawson) and Robert Norman Woodruff Jr., real estate agents.''The New York Times'' wedding announcement
/ref> Woodruff graduated from the private
Cranbrook Kingswood Cranbrook Schools is a private, PK–12 preparatory school located on a campus in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. The schools comprise a co-educational elementary school, a middle school with separate schools for boys and girls, and a co-education ...
school in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, in 1979. He earned a B.A. in 1983 from
Colgate University Colgate University is a private liberal arts college in Hamilton, New York. The college was founded in 1819 as the Baptist Education Society of the State of New York and operated under that name until 1823, when it was renamed Hamilton Theologic ...
, Hamilton, New York, where he played
lacrosse Lacrosse is a team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game was extensively ...
—finishing his career with 184 points, second all-time at Colgate. Woodruff earned a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School in 1987, and he is an alumnus of Theta Chi Fraternity.


Career

After graduating from law school, Woodruff worked as a
bankruptcy Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debto ...
associate at
Shearman & Sterling Shearman & Sterling LLP is a multinational law firm headquartered in New York City, United States. The firm's lawyers come from some 80 countries, speak more than 60 languages and practice US, English, EU, French, Spanish, German, Hong Kong, OHAD ...
, LLC., in New York City. In 1989, while Woodruff was teaching law in
Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 2 ...
, China, CBS News hired him as an on-screen interpreter during the
Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 The Tiananmen Square protests, known in Chinese as the June Fourth Incident (), were student-led demonstrations held in Tiananmen Square, Beijing during 1989. In what is known as the Tiananmen Square Massacre, or in Chinese the June Fourt ...
. Shortly thereafter, he left the law practice and became a full-time correspondent, initially working for several local stations.


ABC News

Woodruff began working for
ABC News ABC News is the news division of the American broadcast network ABC. Its flagship program is the daily evening newscast '' ABC World News Tonight with David Muir''; other programs include morning news-talk show ''Good Morning America'', ''Ni ...
in 1996. He succeeded
Peter Jennings Peter Charles Archibald Ewart Jennings (July 29, 1938August 7, 2005) was a Canadian-born American television journalist who served as the sole anchor of ''ABC World News Tonight'' from 1983 until his death from lung cancer in 2005. He dropped o ...
as a co-anchor of ''
ABC World News Tonight ''ABC World News Tonight'' (titled ''ABC World News Tonight with David Muir'' for its weeknight broadcasts since September 2014) is the flagship daily evening television news program of ABC News, the news division of the American Broadcasting ...
'' in December 2005, along with Elizabeth Vargas. In January 2006, Woodruff was critically wounded by a roadside bomb in Iraq.


Wounded in Iraq

On January 29, 2006, Woodruff and Canadian cameraman
Doug Vogt Doug Vogt (; born 1959) is a Canadian photojournalist and cameraman. He was born in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. He lived 25 years in Europe and presently lives in Los Angeles, United States. Education Doug Vogt studied Broadcast Journalism at M ...
were seriously injured in an explosion from an
improvised explosive device An improvised explosive device (IED) is a bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action. It may be constructed of conventional military explosives, such as an artillery shell, attached to a detonating mechan ...
near
Taji, Iraq {{Infobox settlement , official_name = Taji , other_name = , nickname = , settlement_type = , motto = , image_skyline = , image_size = , image_caption = , im ...
, about north of Baghdad. Woodruff had traveled with an ABC News team to Israel to report on the aftermath of the 2006 Palestinian elections, and then via Amman to Baghdad, so that he could meet with troops before President
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
's State of the Union address for 2006. At the time of the attack, they were embedded with the U.S. 4th Infantry Division, traveling in an Iraqi
MT-LB The MT-LB (russian: Многоцелевой Тягач Легкий Бронированный, translit=Mnogotselevoy tyagach legky bronirovanny, literally "multi-purpose towing vehicle light armored") is a Soviet multi-purpose, fully amphib ...
. Woodruff and Vogt were standing with their heads above a hatch, apparently filming a stand-up. Both men were wearing
body armor Body armor, also known as body armour, personal armor or armour, or a suit or coat of armor, is protective clothing designed to absorb or deflect physical attacks. Historically used to protect military personnel, today it is also used by variou ...
and protective helmets at the time. Woodruff sustained shrapnel wounds; Vogt was struck by shrapnel in the head, and suffered a broken shoulder. Both men underwent surgery for head injuries with a joint Army and Air Force neurosurgical team at the U.S. Air Force hospital south of Balad, located in Camp Anaconda, and were reported to be in stable condition. Tom Brokaw reported on the ''Today'' show that Woodruff had a portion of his skull removed during surgery to reduce the damage from brain swelling. Woodruff and Vogt were evacuated to the U.S. Army's Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany overnight on Sunday, January 29. On ABC ''World News Tonight'' that evening, anchor
Elizabeth Vargas Elizabeth Anne Vargas (born September 6, 1962) is an American television journalist who is the lead investigative reporter/documentary anchor for A&E Networks, and the host for Fox's revival of ''America's Most Wanted''. She began her new positio ...
discussed the dangers of reporting in a combat zone. After leaving Germany, Woodruff was treated for several weeks at
Bethesda Naval Hospital The Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC), formerly known as the National Naval Medical Center and colloquially referred to as the Bethesda Naval Hospital, Walter Reed, or Navy Med, is a United States' tri-service military medi ...
in
Bethesda, Maryland Bethesda () is an unincorporated, census-designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland. It is located just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House (1820, rebuilt 1849), which i ...
.


Recovery from injuries

Woodruff was kept in a medically induced coma for 36 days to assist his recovery, and ABC News temporarily assigned '' Good Morning America'' anchors
Charles Gibson Charles deWolf Gibson (born March 9, 1943) is an American broadcast television anchor, journalist and podcaster. Gibson was a host of ''Good Morning America'' from 1987 to 1998 and again from 1999 to 2006, and the anchor of ''World News with Char ...
and Diane Sawyer to alternate duties on the evening newscast as co-anchors with Vargas. Vogt meanwhile was reported to be awake, mobile, and recovering. As of March 7, 2006, Woodruff's brother reported that the ABC anchor was beginning to walk, recognize friends and family, and speak in several languages. However, he struggled with
expressive aphasia Expressive aphasia, also known as Broca's aphasia, is a type of aphasia characterized by partial loss of the ability to produce language ( spoken, manual, or written), although comprehension generally remains intact. A person with expressive aphas ...
for more than a year after the injury. Woodruff was transferred on March 16, 2006, to a medical facility closer to his Westchester County, New York, home, a sign of "continued progress in all respects", ABC News President,
David Westin David Lawrence Westin is anchor of ''Bloomberg: Balance of Power'' and ''Bloomberg Big Decisions'' on Bloomberg Television. Previously, he was an anchor on ''Bloomberg Daybreak Americas'' and ''Bloomberg GO'' which ''Daybreak'' replaced. He has a ...
, said in an e-mail to staffers.ABC's Woodruff Transferred from Naval Hospital, Making Progress
, a March 2006 article from '' Editor & Publisher''
Westin's email noted that Woodruff was able to get around, talk to and joke with his family, but that "months of further recuperation" were still required. On April 6, 2006, ABC News released photos of Woodruff recovering at home, along with a letter thanking everyone for their support and kindness during his ongoing recovery. Woodruff especially thanked the soldiers, doctors, and nurses who had saved his life. On December 29, 2006, Woodruff's wife, Lee, an editor at ''Family Fun Magazine'' appeared on '' Good Morning America'' to discuss family activities to celebrate the New Year. During the report, anchor
Kate Snow Kate Snow (born June 10, 1969) is an American television journalist for NBC News, serving as Senior National Correspondent to various NBC platforms, including ''Today'', ''NBC Nightly News'', ''Dateline NBC'', and MSNBC. Snow also anchors the Sund ...
asked Lee about her husband's condition. Lee said that Bob was doing well and was currently filming a television documentary about his experiences. She also revealed that he had been back to Iraq since the incident to visit the soldiers with whom he was traveling at the time of his injury.


Consequences at ABC News

ABC's '' World News Tonight'' remained second in the
Nielsen Media Research Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rati ...
rankings, though it had lost some ground to NBC's then first-place ''Nightly News'', anchored by
Brian Williams Brian Douglas Williams (born May 5, 1959) is an American retired journalist and television news anchor. He was a reporter for ''NBC Nightly News'' starting in 1993, before his promotion to anchor and managing editor of the broadcast in 2004. ...
before his ouster. Bob Schieffer on ''CBS Evening News'' also closed the gap with ABC after Woodruff's injury. On May 23, 2006, Vargas announced her resignation from ''WNT'', citing her doctors' recommendation to cut back her schedule considerably due to her upcoming maternity leave, and her wish to spend more time with her new baby. Gibson was then named sole anchor of the show, effective May 29, 2006.


Return to air

On February 27, 2007, Woodruff appeared on '' Good Morning America'', '' ABC World News with Charles Gibson'', and '' The Oprah Winfrey Show'', in advance of a documentary that aired on ABC later that evening. Despite having made great progress in his recovery, during the GMA interview with Diane Sawyer, Woodruff had some difficulty remembering words and details, such as the name of the Vietnam War and the word "injury". The hour-long documentary, "To Iraq and Back: Bob Woodruff Reports‚" explored the consequences of traumatic brain injury and highlighted the difficulties brain injured veterans face finding treatment—a subject that had first appeared in ''
Discover Discover may refer to: Art, entertainment, and media * ''Discover'' (album), a Cactus Jack album * ''Discover'' (magazine), an American science magazine Businesses and brands * DISCover, the ''Digital Interactive Systems Corporation'' * D ...
'' magazine several weeks earlier, and was elaborated on by '' Washington Post'' reporters in the exposé "Painting Over the Problems at Walter Reed's Building 18". Woodruff resumed his contributions to ''ABC World News with Charles Gibson'' the following day, February 28, with the first in a series of follow-up reports centering on the problems that wounded American soldiers are encountering in their treatment and recovery, particularly at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Starting March 7, he was scheduled to begin reporting for '' Nightline'' "at regular intervals". On July 12, 2008, Woodruff began hosting a new weekly ABC News–produced newscast, ''Focus Earth with Bob Woodruff'', on the
Planet Green Destination America is an American cable television channel owned by the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks unit of Warner Bros. Discovery. The network carries programming focused on the culture of the United States—including food, lifestyles, an ...
television channel. On ''Focus Earth'', Woodruff covered the environmental news of the week, looking at subjects ranging from climate impact, environmental policy, political debate, and world events, as well as how climate change affects religious and cultural views and issues. In 2014, Woodruff worked with
ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The co ...
and
ABC Sports ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Televisio ...
as a reporter and host for the
2014 FIFA World Cup The 2014 FIFA World Cup was the 20th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national football teams organised by FIFA. It took place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014, after the country was awarded the hosting righ ...
, normally alongside ESPN Brazil senior writer Rubens Pozzi. In 2020, he started a National Geographic show, ''Rogue Trip'', with his son Mack. The show premiered on Disney+.


Bob Woodruff Foundation

The Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF) is a nonprofit that supports post-9/11 impacted service members, veterans, and their families after they return home. In 2014, Woodruff was awarded the third highest honor within the Department of the Army Civilian Awards, the Outstanding Civilian Service Award, for substantial contributions to the U.S. Army community through his work with the Woodruff Foundation.


Personal life

Woodruff married Lee McConaughy in 1988, and they have four children, Macklin Robert (Mack), Cathryn, and twins Claire and Nora.


Awards

Woodruff has received numerous awards, including: *Radio and Television Association's David Bloom Award for Excellence in Enterprise (2006); *
Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Peabody, honor the most powerful, enlightening, and invigorating stories in television, radio, and ...
for Bob Woodruff Reporting: Wounds of War—The Long Road Home for Our Nation's Veterans (2007); * Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America's (IAVA) "Civilian Service Award" for his dedication to our nation's newest generation of veterans (2007); *Los Angeles Press Club's Daniel Pearl Award for Courage and Integrity in Journalism (2008). * NCAA
Silver Anniversary Awards The Silver Anniversary Awards are awarded every year by the American National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to recognize six distinguished former student-athletes on their 25th anniversary as college graduates. The Silver Anniversary A ...
(2008) *American Legion National Commander Public Relations Award (2013) *Public Leadership in Neurology Award - American Brain Federation/
American Academy of Neurology The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) is a professional society representing over 38,000 neurologists and neuroscientists. As a medical specialty society it was established in 1948 by A.B. Baker of the University of Minnesota to advance the ar ...
(2016) *
National Association of Broadcasters The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) is a trade association and lobby group representing the interests of commercial and non-commercial over-the-air radio and television broadcasters in the United States. The NAB represents more tha ...
Distinguished Service Award (2016)


References


External links

* * *
Vargas, Woodruff Named Co-Anchors of ABC's 'World News Tonight'
ABC.com. December 5, 2005.
Vargas, Woodruff to share anchor desk at ABC
MSNBC. December 5, 2005.
Official ABC biographyBob Woodruff Foundation"Military Widows Hit the Road"
Bob Woodruff with the American Widow Project. March 25, 2009. {{DEFAULTSORT:Woodruff, Bob 1961 births Living people People from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan American male journalists American television news anchors American television reporters and correspondents American war correspondents ABC News personalities Iraq War casualties People with traumatic brain injuries People associated with Shearman & Sterling Colgate Raiders men's lacrosse players Cranbrook Educational Community alumni University of Michigan Law School alumni 20th-century American journalists 21st-century American journalists Articles containing video clips