One of the country’s most recognizable faces on cable news, Wolf Blitzer was born to Polish Jewish Holocaust survivors in 1948. Today, he serves as one of the principal anchors for CNN, a company he's worked for since 1990. Blitzer began his career in 1972 with Reuters and has since covered many key events that helped shaped the international political landscape and has reported from some of the biggest conflict areas on the globe, from Russia to Egypt, North Korea, Israel, and Lebanon. Additionally, Blitzer is known for interviewing some of history's most notable figures; moderating both the Democratic and Republican 2016 presidential primary debates; and has been on CNN teams whose coverage has earned Emmy, Peabody, and Edward R. Murrow awards. Blitzer also frequently writes articles for some of the nation's top publications and previously authored two books, including "Territory of Lies," which The New York Times Book Review cited as one of the most notable books of 1989.
When Blitzer showed up to Johns Hopkins in 1970, he had no experience in journalism; he hadn’t even worked for a school newspaper or taken a single journalism course. Instead, Blitzer was more focused on history and global relations. This led him to spend part of his graduate years studying overseas at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he learned Hebrew. After finishing his studies abroad, Blitzer returned and received a Master of Arts in International Relations from the Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in 1972.
Known for his tireless work ethic, Blitzer's countless responsibilities at CNN have never kept him from the Johns Hopkins campus when needed. The political pundit has been returning to his alma mater on a regular basis for the past couple of decades, such as in 2002 when he was asked to speak during commencement ceremonies at SAIS. He also gave the annual Rostov Lecture on campus in 2009. Even more recently, Blitzer made campus waves in 2019 when he joined the JHU community for a talk, "America's Changing Role in Global Affairs: A Conversation with Wolf Blitzer," which discussed politics in America and the future of U.S. foreign policy. During the event, Blitzer also paid tribute to the valuable role his JHU education played in launching his career as a reporter.