Last Updated on: 10th April 2025, 10:15 pm
Ruth Ashton Taylor (April 20, 1922 – January 11, 2024) was a pioneering journalist, celebrated as the first female television newscaster on the West Coast. Her work in radio and television spanned more than 50 years.
Born Ruth Arlene Montoya in Long Beach, California, she adopted her mother’s surname, Ashton, after her father left the family in 1926. She graduated from Long Beach Polytechnic High School in 1939 and earned her undergraduate degree from Scripps College. She later obtained a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University in 1944.
After completing her studies, she joined CBS Radio in New York as a news writer and producer. She became the only female member of Edward R. Murrow’s documentary unit, contributing to broadcasts and interviewing Albert Einstein.
In 1951, she became the first woman to anchor a television newscast on the West Coast, joining KNXT (now KCBS) in Los Angeles. Initially assigned to cover stories targeting women, she began to report on a wider range of topics, including politics and major news events.
After a break from LA TV news in 1958, she returned to KNXT in 1962 and remained there until her retirement in 1989. She interviewed President Jimmy Carter.
Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award in 1982.
Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1990
She died January 11, 2024, at age 101.