Pioneering journalist Ruth Ashton Taylor passed away suddenly in San Rafael, CA, as confirmed by her family. The cause of her death was not disclosed. Born in Long Beach in 1922, Taylor’s career in radio and television news spanned five decades.
She graduated from Scripps College and later earned a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University. Taylor began her career as a news writer and producer at CBS radio in New York and was the only woman to serve in Edward R. Murrow’s documentary unit.
Taylor’s broadcasting career was marked by notable interviews, including conversations with Jimmy Durante and Albert Einstein. In 1951, she became an anchor for the CBS affiliate in Los Angeles (KNXT-TV). After briefly leaving journalism in 1958, she returned to KNXT in 1962, where she continued her career until her retirement in 1989.
Her achievements in journalism were recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award in 1982 and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1990.
