Fox News anchor Bret Baier was inducted into the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans this weekend during a ceremony in Washington D.C.
During his acceptance speech, Bret Baier discussed his rise through the media ranks, beginning his career in small market TV in South Carolina, before stops in Rockford, Illinois; Raleigh; and with CBS in Florida before joining Fox News in 1998.
“Today, I’m the chief political anchor of FOX News Channel and the anchor and executive editor of Special Report with Bret Baier. And my success is really a blessing, but we went from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows,” said Baier.]
He then shared his perspective on life through the lens of dealing with his son’s birth with several heart defects, and how that shaped his view of not only life but also his career.
“When my son Paul was born, it was our first child and the cardiologist came and talked to us and said that he had five serious congenital heart defects. And if he didn’t have open heart surgery in the next few days, he would die. And that moment changes your life,” Baier admitted. “The small bickering up on Capitol Hill that you cover day to day goes away because there are much bigger things that people have to deal with. Everybody has something. This was our something.
“And getting through that, over that open heart surgery and three others, ten angioplasties — it was a big, big challenge. Today, his heart is pumping just like anybody else’s so we’re really blessed. You know, I’m really happiest walking with my wife, talking about our life and playing golf with my sons. Becoming a member of the Horatio Alger Association is a true, true honor and Linda Rabbitt exudes this wonderful spirit,” Baier continued. “And I’m really honored that she nominated me. If you think about how you can affect someone’s life from the beginning, sometimes it’s just one little thing that changes everything. Horatio Alger changed a lot of lives in forty years.”
