Anderson Cooper

Contributor, 60 Minutes

(CBS)  Anderson Cooper, anchor of CNN’s "Anderson Cooper 360˚," contributes reports to CBS News' 60 Minutes through an agreement between CNN and CBS News. He remains a full-time employee of CNN.

Cooper's second season on 60 Minutes was marked by domestic and foreign reports, three from Africa focusing on hunger, rape as a weapon and the plight of endangered mountain gorillas. His first season was noted for the first television interview with Abu Ghraib whistle-blower Joe Darby and for a report on the controversial "stop snitchin'" message rappers propagate, which is obstructing police efforts to solve crimes.

His exceptional reporting on big news events of the past five years has earned Cooper a reputation as one of television's pre-eminent newsmen. CBS News recognized his talent years ago when he was invited to contribute stories to "60 Minutes II." He reported two stories on that broadcast during the 2004-05 television season, the second of which broke the story of a doctor who prescribed steroids and human growth hormone to several Carolina Panthers NFL players. The doctor was subsequently indicted on multiple counts of distributing the drugs and recently pleaded guilty to some of the charges. Congress held hearings and the NFL strengthened some of its drug policies.

Since joining CNN in December 2001, Cooper has anchored major breaking news stories, most recently the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina along the Gulf Coast. He traveled to Sri Lanka to cover the tsunami and was in Baghdad for the Iraqi elections. Cooper also anchored much of CNN's live coverage of the funeral of Pope John Paul II in Vatican City as well as the Terri Schiavo story in Florida.

Before that, Cooper was a correspondent for ABC News, contributing to "World News Tonight," "20/20," "20/20 Downtown" and the weekend editions of "World News Tonight." Cooper joined ABC from Channel One News, where he served as chief international correspondent. During that time, he reported and produced stories from Bosnia, Iran, Israel, Russia, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa and Vietnam. He also reported national stories that were broadcast over the Channel One News school television network and seen in more than 12,000 classrooms nationwide.

Cooper is the winner of several journalism awards, including an Emmy for his contribution to ABC News' coverage of the funeral of Princess Diana. His reporting on the tsunami in South Asia was the centerpiece of CNN’s Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia University Award-winning coverage of the disaster, while his work during Hurricane Katrina helped CNN win a Peabody Award.

He was born in New York City. Cooper was graduated from Yale University in 1989 with a bachelor of arts degree in political science. He studied Vietnamese at the University of Hanoi.