Mary Alice Williams Facts: Bio, Age, Height, Weight, Family, and Net Worth

Mary Alice Williams is an American journalist best known for playing Co-Host in Inside Politics.

10 Quick Facts About Mary Alice Williams

• Full Name: Mary Alice Williams
• Nationality: American
• Profession: News anchor and journalist
• Known For: The television show Inside Politics
• Current Role: Veteran broadcast journalist and former anchor
• Date of Birth: March 12, 1949
• Age: 77 years old
• Place of Birth: Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Marital Status: Married
• Spouse / Partner: Dr. Julian Decter

Mary Alice Williams Age

Mary Alice Williams is about 77 years old as of 2026. Mary Alice Williams was born in 1949.

Education

Her educational background includes studies at Convent of the Visitation and Creighton University.

• Convent of the Visitation
• Creighton University
  • Qualification: Bachelor of Arts
  • Field of Study: English and Mass Communications

Career & Work

Mary Alice Williams' career includes news and reporting roles with NJTV and NBC News, a news outlet.

Rise to Fame

Notable Works

Notable media work includes Sunday Today, NBC Nightly News, and Desert Storm: War in the Gulf.

• TV Show: Sunday Today (Co-Host, 1989-1993) — NBC weekend morning television program
• TV Show: NBC Nightly News (Substitute Anchor and Correspondent, 1989-1993) — Contributed to award-winning NBC News reporting
• TV Show: Desert Storm: War in the Gulf (Anchor, 1991) — Extended NBC News coverage of the Gulf War
• TV Show: Reaching Out to Heal (Writer and Host, After September 2001) — Three-hour PBS special examining recovery and healing following the September 11 attacks
• TV Show: Picture What Women Do (Writer and Host, 1995) — Lifetime documentary examining women, work and the American family
• TV Show: NJTV News with Mary Alice Williams (Anchor, 2014-2020) — New Jersey statewide public television news program
• TV Show: Inside Politics (Co-Host) — Co-hosted CNN political programming with Bernard Shaw
• TV Show: Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow (Co-Host) — NBC news-magazine television programming

Notable Coverage

• Political Assassinations and Vietnam-Era Protests - KSTP-TV and NBC News - Reported on major political and social events early in her journalism career
• CNN Political Coverage - CNN - Participated in CNN's political news coverage and co-hosted Inside Politics with Bernard Shaw
• September 11 Recovery and Healing - PBS - 2001 - Wrote and hosted Reaching Out to Heal, a three-hour television special
• New Jersey Public Affairs and Politics - NJTV News - Anchored statewide reporting on government, elections, education, environmental issues and public affairs from 2014 to 2020

Awards & Achievements

• News and Documentary Emmy Award — National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences — 1990 — Outstanding General Coverage of a Single Breaking News Story for NBC's Romanian Revolution coverage.
• Exceptional Merit Media Award — National Women's Political Caucus — 1995 — Picture What Women Do.
• Gracie Allen Award — American Women in Radio and Television — 2001 — True North.
• Donald McGannon Ethics in Media Award — 2001 — True North.
• Broadcasting Hall of Fame Induction — Museum of Broadcasting — 2006 — Contributions to television news and broadcast journalism.
• New Jersey Hall of Fame Induction — New Jersey Hall of Fame — 2025 — Arts and Letters; pioneering broadcast journalism.

Mary Alice Williams Family & Relationships

Mary Alice Williams is married to Dr. Julian Decter. She has 3 children, including Alice Ann and Sara Mary.

• Father: Dr. George E. Williams
• Mother: Alice Mary Williams

• Children:
  • Alice Ann (1990)
  • Sara Mary (1992)
  • Laura Abigail (1992)

Lesser Known Facts

• She helped build CNN's New York bureau before the network launched.
• She became a CNN news division vice president in 1982.
• She has reported on foreign policy, ethics, public health and social issues.
• She presented long-form television programs about ethics, addiction and family life.
• She authored the book Quiet Triumphs.
• She served as the face of NJTV's statewide news broadcast from 2014 to 2020.

Personal Information

• Full Name: Mary Alice Williams
• Gender: Female
• Occupation: News anchor and journalist
• Nationality: American
• Living Status: Alive
• Ethnicity: White

Birth & Background

• Date of Birth: March 12, 1949
• Age: 77
• Birthday: March 12
• Zodiac Sign: Pisces
• Place of Birth: Minneapolis, Minnesota

Measurements

• Eye Color: Blue
• Hair Color: Brown

Family & Relationships

• Father: Dr. George E. Williams
• Mother: Alice Mary Williams
• Marital Status: Married
• Spouse / Partner: Dr. Julian Decter

Net Worth & Income

• Salary: $87,000–$380,000 (Estimated range)
• Net Worth: $421,000–$6,017,000 (Estimated range)
• Source of Income: Broadcast employment and related professional work

Related Biographies

• Dr. Julian Decter (Spouse • Husband, married in 2014.)
• Mark Haefeli (Spouse • Former husband and television producer.)
• Dr. George E. Williams (Parent • Father, psychiatrist and university medical-school administrator.)
• Alice Mary Williams (Parent • Mother.)
• Bernard Shaw (Colleague • CNN colleague and Inside Politics co-host.)

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