One of the most interesting aspects of working in news is learning who our anchors are, outside of the studio. Every day, they’re buttoned-up on camera, reporting on news and politics, which are mostly very serious and hard-hitting topics. So it’s fun and often times, fascinating, to hear tidbits of their life story and how they became the person they are today. With that said, Washington Post Magazine has a great column titled ‘First Person Singular‘ and this week’s issue profiles msnbc’s Chris Matthews. In the article, Chris opens up about his childhood and early career. A few interesting tidbits from the article:
- He read history as a kid – forget the coloring books… Chris says this of his childhood “when my brother was getting Hardy Boys [books], I would get a Landmark book — a biography of Lincoln or Jefferson or Washington or Davy Crockett. And I was always [reading] nonfiction.”
- Chris Matthews on a motorcycle? Yep, he did it. While volunteering for the Peace Corps in Africa, Chris says “I wanted to do something adventurous and somewhat risky in youth..I certainly was driven to the Peace Corps in Africa with a sense of adventure — going out there alone, out there in the bush, by myself, on a motorcycle. I was in Swaziland. And you’re out there on your own. It was pretty brazen, I’d say.”
- At the young age of six years old, Chris became a politico. He says in the article “I’m interested in political leadership and courage and standing up for something. It’s very hard to explain. I was paying attention to the ’52 election, believe it or not, when I was, like, 6. I paid very much attention to the ’60 election”
- Before his career in politics, Chris was a police officer. Chris describes the experience, saying “It was patronage…I had the uniform — the gun and everything…”
Check out the article in full here. And if you haven’t read his new New York Times best-selling book, Jack Kennedy, yet – it can be purchased here.
Follow Chris on twitter at @Hardball_Chris.
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