Background
He was born in Lansing, Illinois.
He was born in Lansing, Illinois.
He hosted the Columbia Broadcasting System News morning programs, The Early Show and its predecessor, Columbia Broadcasting System This Morning, for seventeen years. In July 2011, Smith left Columbia Broadcasting System News to become a correspondent for National Broadcasting Company News and the now cancelled newsmagazine Rock Center with Brian Williams. He currently serves as a contributing correspondent for National Broadcasting Company News and Consumer News and Business Channel. Additionally, he has served as an anchor for Microsoft and National Broadcasting Company, conducting daytime live coverage of breaking news and events since first appearing in November 2015).
Smith received a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications and theater from Central College, located in Pella, Iowa.
Smith began his broadcasting career at Denver, Colorado, radio stations KHOW and KIMN and Cincinnati, Ohio, radio station World's Largest Wireles (1973-1981). From 1981 to 1982, he worked for Denver"s public television station, KRMA-television From 1982 to 1985, he served as a reporter and anchor for KMGH-television, the Columbia Broadcasting System affiliate in Denver.
In 1986, Smith joined Columbia Broadcasting System News as a reporter and was named a correspondent in 1987. Foreign thirteen years, Smith was a contributor to The Columbia Broadcasting System Evening News with Dan Rather, 48 Hours, and Columbia Broadcasting System News documentaries.
From 1987 to 1996, he served as a co-anchor Columbia Broadcasting System This Morning.
In 2002, Smith returned to the Columbia Broadcasting System morning show, renamed The Early Show. He hosted the program for nine years before Columbia Broadcasting System announced that Smith and co-anchors Maggie Rodriguez and Dave Price would leave the show at the end of 2010. Upon leaving the program, Smith became a Senior Correspondent for Columbia Broadcasting System News and substitute anchor for the Columbia Broadcasting System Evening News, Face the Nation, and Columbia Broadcasting System News Sunday Morning.
In addition to his television assignments, Smith delivered a daily Harry Smith Reporting editorial for the Columbia Broadcasting System Radio Network.
He has also hosted the A&East Network television series Biography and The History Channel"s Modern Marvels. On July 8, 2011, Columbia Broadcasting System News informed its employees that Smith would depart the network after twenty-five years.
National Broadcasting Company News subsequently announced that Smith would join that network and contribute to the prime-time newsmagazine program Rock Center with Brian Williams. Since the canceling of Rock Center with Brian Williams, Smith has continued to report regularly on various National Broadcasting Company News platforms and substitute anchor on National Broadcasting Company Nightly News.
He contributes a weekly story on Sunday mornings on the weekend edition of National Broadcasting Company"s Today in a segment called "Sunday"s with Harry".
Smith is part of a rotating group of co-hosts that have been filling the co-anchor chair since it was vacated by Lester Holt when he was named anchor of National Broadcasting Company Nightly News.