Harry Smith

Co-Anchor, The Early Show

(CBS)  Harry Smith has been an anchor of The Early Show since October 2002. He also hosts a daily radio news and analysis feature, "Just a Minute," on the CBS News Radio Network. He serves as substitute anchor and occasional correspondent for CBS News Sunday Morning and anchored and contributed to CBS News documentaries, as well as to 48 Hours.

Smith has interviewed many newsmakers, including former Presidents Jimmy Carter, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, first lady Laura Bush, Sen. John McCain, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, as well as celebrities and sports figures including Madonna, Lauren Bacall, Morgan Freeman, Nicole Kidman, Gwyneth Paltrow and seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, among many others.

Most recently, Smith has reported extensively from the Gulf Coast region, covering the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. He was the first network morning anchor on the ground after Hurricane Katrina, and has made five trips to the region. Smith anchored The Early Show from London in July 2005, covering the aftermath of the London terrorist attacks. He also anchored The Early Show’s week-long coverage from Rome for the funeral of Pope John Paul II in April 2005. He also reported extensively on Campaign '04, including anchoring from several major primaries and the Republican National Convention in New York City. Smith conducted an exclusive one-on-one interview with then-Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry the day before Election Day 2004. In January 2005, he anchored from Sri Lanka covering the aftermath of the tsunami. Smith also reported from Simi Valley, Calif., covering the events and ceremonies of former President Ronald Reagan’s funeral.

In February 2003, Smith reported from Baghdad and Kuwait on the eve of the war with Iraq. He was also the first network anchor to conduct an interview with Ed Smart after his missing daughter, Elizabeth, was found.

For three years, Smith has hosted the annual "Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular," which is broadcast live on CBS each year from the Charles River Esplanade in Boston on July 4.

Smith first worked for CBS News for 13 years as an anchor, correspondent and featured contributor for various broadcasts. He was a regular contributor to the CBS Evening News, where his "Travels with Harry" offered a weekly report on unique American people and places.

During that time, he served as co-anchor of "CBS This Morning" (1987-96), covering a wide range of domestic and international stories, including the Gulf War (in a month of live broadcasts from Saudi Arabia), as well as reports from Japan, Poland, Hungary, Bosnia, Cuba, France, Italy, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Great Britain, Russia and Spain. Domestically, he covered stories ranging from the 1989 San Francisco earthquake to the 1988, 1992 and 1996 Republican and Democratic National Conventions, and the Oklahoma City bombing. He also served as the co-host of CBS Sports' weekday morning coverage of the 1992 and 1994 Olympic Winter Games in Albertville, France, and Lillehammer, Norway.

Smith joined CBS News in 1986 as a Dallas-based reporter and was named a correspondent in March 1987, reporting primarily for the CBS Evening News. Prior to that, he was a reporter and anchor for KMGH-TV, the CBS affiliate in Denver (1982-85). He also worked for Denver's public television station, KRMA-TV (1981-82), and in radio at KHOW and KIMN Denver and WLW Cincinnati.

Smith was born in Lansing, Ill. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications and theater from Central College in Pella, Iowa. He lives in New York with his wife, NBC Sports anchor and reporter Andrea Joyce, and their two sons.