Tom Jarriel Facts: Bio, Age, Height, Weight, Family, and Net Worth

Tom Jarriel is an American journalist best known for playing Investigative correspondent in 20/20.

10 Quick Facts About Tom Jarriel

• Full Name: Tom Jarriel
• Nationality: American
• Profession: News anchor and correspondent
• Known For: The television show 20/20
• Date of Birth: December 29, 1934
• Age: 91 years old
• Place of Birth: LaGrange, Georgia
• Marital Status: Married
• Spouse / Partner: Joan Borgeson
• Popular As: Thomas Edwin Jarriel

Tom Jarriel Age

Tom Jarriel is about 92 years old as of 2026. Tom Jarriel was born in 1934.

Education

He attended University of Houston, where he earned a Bachelor's degree in Communications.

• University of Houston
  • Qualification: Bachelor's degree
  • Field of Study: Communications
  • Period: 1956

Career & Work

Tom Jarriel's career includes news and reporting roles with ABC News, a news outlet and KPRC-TV.

Rise to Fame

Notable Works

Notable media work includes 20/20, ABC Weekend Report, and Romanian Orphanages Investigation.

• TV Show: 20/20 (Investigative correspondent, 1979-2002) — ABC News investigative newsmagazine; his reporting earned six Emmy Awards for work on the program
• TV Show: ABC Weekend Report (Anchor, From 1979) — ABC weekend television news program
• TV Show: Romanian Orphanages Investigation (Investigative correspondent, 1990) — Two-part 20/20 investigation documenting severe mistreatment and neglect in Romanian institutions
• TV Show: Martin Luther King Jr. Assassination Coverage (Correspondent, 1968) — On-the-scene reporting from Memphis immediately following the assassination
• TV Show: Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster Coverage (Correspondent, 2003) — Returned temporarily to reporting to cover the Columbia tragedy from Kennedy Space Center
• TV Show: World News Tonight (Substitute anchor) — Occasional news anchoring during his long ABC career

Notable Coverage

• Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr - ABC News - 1968 - Reported from Memphis following King's assassination, interviewing witnesses and members of his entourage
• Richard Nixon presidency and Watergate - ABC News - 1974 - Covered the Nixon administration, Vietnam-era protests and events leading to the president's resignation
• Gerald Ford administration - ABC News - Reported on the Ford presidency as chief White House correspondent
• Romanian orphanages and institutions - ABC 20/20 - 1990 - Led an investigation into the conditions of children in Romanian state institutions after the fall of Nicolae Ceaușescu
• Sexual abuse allegations involving women in the armed forces - ABC 20/20 - Investigated allegations of sexual assault and mistreatment involving women serving in the United States military
• Space Shuttle Columbia disaster - ABC News - 2003 - Volunteered to assist ABC's coverage after the shuttle broke apart and reported live from Kennedy Space Center despite having retired from the network

Tom Jarriel Family & Relationships

Tom Jarriel is married to Joan Borgeson. He has 3 children, including Michael and Stephen.

• Children:
  • Michael
  • Stephen
  • Jeffrey

Lesser Known Facts

• He covered the aftermath of Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination in Memphis in April 1968.

Personal Information

• Full Name: Tom Jarriel
• Popular As: Thomas Edwin Jarriel
• Gender: Male
• Occupation: News anchor and correspondent
• Nationality: American
• Living Status: Deceased

Birth & Background

• Date of Birth: December 29, 1934
• Age: 91
• Birthday: December 29
• Zodiac Sign: Capricorn
• Place of Birth: LaGrange, Georgia

Family & Relationships

• Marital Status: Married
• Spouse / Partner: Joan Borgeson

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

• Joan Borgeson (Spouse • His wife of 67 years.)
• Barbara Walters (Colleague • ABC 20/20 broadcaster with whom Jarriel worked during his investigative journalism career.)
• Hugh Downs (Colleague • ABC 20/20 anchor during Jarriel's tenure as a correspondent.)
• Connie Chung (Colleague • ABC News and 20/20 colleague.)

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