Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc., a nonprofit educational organization honoring the achievements of outstanding individuals and encouraging youth to pursue their dreams through higher education, today announced that Bret Baier, chief political anchor at FOX News and anchor and executive editor of Special Report, has been selected for membership in this prestigious organization. Mr. Baier joins 10 other exceptional business, civic and cultural leaders from across North America in receiving 2024 honors. For more than 75 years, the Horatio Alger Award has been annually bestowed upon esteemed individuals who have succeeded despite facing adversities, and who have remained committed to higher education and charitable efforts in their communities.
Mr. Baier spent his early childhood years in Rumson, New Jersey and was raised in the Catholic faith. He credits his parents – his mother was an accountant, and his father was an oil broker for Sunoco – for instilling a strong work ethic in him, having led by their own examples. As a young entrepreneur, Mr. Baier started his own grass-cutting business as a teenager that eventually was so popular, he was booked every weekend. Mr. Baier attended DePauw University, graduating in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and English.
Mr. Baier began his celebrated television career working for local stations in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, Rockford, Illinois and Raleigh, North Carolina. He sent an audition tape to FOX News in 1998 and was hired as an Atlanta based correspondent, where he covered the southeast as well as Central and South America. On September 11th, he traveled from Atlanta to cover the terrorist attacks from the Pentagon which then led to his extensive career in Washington. During that time, Mr. Baier took 13 trips to Afghanistan and 12 trips to Iraq. His trusted reporting earned him the positions of national security correspondent from 2001 to 2006 and chief White House correspondent covering President George W. Bush from 2006-2009.
Most recently Mr. Baier has been the anchor of Special Report on FOX News since 2009, when he took over for the legendary Brit Hume who created and launched Special Report in 1998. In 2023, the program averaged 2.1 million viewers and 214,000 in the 25-54 demographic, making it a top five show in cable news. Additionally, he hosts The Bret Baier Podcast, which encompasses the Common Ground and All-Star Panel audio offerings under one umbrella.
Mr. Baier and his wife, Amy, have two sons, Paul and Daniel. His eldest son Paul – now 16 – was born with five serious congenital heart defects that necessitated an eight-hour open-heart surgery when he was 12 days old and several subsequent open-heart surgeries in the years that followed. Today, Paul is healthy and active, and the family credits their Catholic faith for getting them through the most challenging moments of his health battles.
“Bret Baier has reported on some of the most critical stories of our time while simultaneously navigating his son’s arduous, years-long health battles,” said Terrence J. Giroux, executive director, Horatio Alger Association. “We are so proud do induct one of our country’s most respected journalists as a 2024 Member and I know that the empathy he displays from his own life experiences will be a gift to many of our Scholars.”
Mr. Baier has conducted numerous interviews with world leaders, sitting presidents, politicians and celebrities throughout his 27-year tenure with FOX News, including former President Trump, then-President Barack Obama, then-President George W. Bush, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the Dalai Lama and many others. In total, he has reported from 74 different countries. In August 2023, he co-moderated the first Republican Presidential Primary Debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which was watched by 13 million viewers making it the highest-rated non-sports telecast of the year. In the current 2024 election cycle he has interviewed Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as well as current and former Republican candidates, including Trump, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, Vivek Ramaswamy, Senator Tim Scott, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson. Mr. Baier is the author of six New York Times bestsellers and released his latest book “To Rescue the Constitution: George Washington and the Fragile American Experiment” in 2023.
“I am deeply honored to become a Horatio Alger Member and join such a tremendously successful and philanthropic group of people,” said Mr. Baier. “I’ve had the privilege of spending time with some of the Scholars over the past few years and am constantly in awe of their resilience, strength and determination. I look forward to supporting the Association’s mission and amplifying the voices of these inspiring young people.”
2024 marks the 40th year that the Association has awarded annual need-based scholarships to high school students who have displayed dedication to pursuing higher education despite significant obstacles throughout their lives. The Association, which aims to preserve and protect the American Dream for future generations, also seeks to educate young people about the endless opportunities available by the free-enterprise system through commitment, honesty, and diligence. The scholarships are made possible thanks to the generosity of Horatio Alger Members, who will have collectively provided more than $245 million to over 35,000 students.
“It is our utmost honor to present the Horatio Alger Award to these 11 outstanding leaders who have exemplified perseverance, passion and a deep appreciation for higher education,” said James F. Dicke II, chairman, Horatio Alger Association and 2015 Horatio Alger Award recipient. “These influential leaders not only spearhead their own businesses, but they give generously to causes, organizations and communities in need. Our 2024 awardees embody the Association’s mission and are proof that the American Dream is within reach for anyone who seeks it.”
Mr. Baier and the Member Class of 2024 will be formally inducted into the Association on April 4-6, 2024, during the Association’s annual Horatio Alger Award Induction Ceremonies in Washington, D.C. The three-day event is an annual ceremony to honor both the achievements of Members and National Scholars, who will have multiple opportunities to meet, interact and exchange stories of perseverance.
For more information about Horatio Alger Association and its Member Class of 2024, please visit www.horatioalger.org and follow the organization on Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram.
About Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans:
Founded in 1947, the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc. is dedicated to the simple but powerful belief that hard work, honesty and determination can conquer all obstacles. The Association honors the achievements of outstanding leaders who have accomplished remarkable successes in spite of adversity by bestowing upon them the Horatio Alger Award and inducting them as lifetime Members. Horatio Alger Members support promising young people with the resources and confidence needed to overcome adversity in pursuit of their dreams through higher education. Through the generosity of its Members and friends, in 2023, the Association awarded more than $18 million in undergraduate and graduate need-based scholarships to 1,800 students across the United States and Canada, and provided college support and mentoring services to its Scholars. Over the past 40 years, more than $245 million has been awarded in undergraduate, graduate, military veteran and career and technical education scholarships to more than 35,000 deserving students. For more information, please visit www.horatioalger.org.
