Sylvia Chase
A fearless broadcast journalist who broke barriers for women in network news with her tough, investigative reporting on 20/20.
1938–2019 (age 81)·American journalist·Birthday: February 23·The Silent Generation
Biography
Sylvia Chase entered television news when the anchor desk was almost exclusively a man's world. With a calm demeanor and a relentless drive for the truth, she carved out a space as a serious correspondent, first at CBS and then as a founding member of ABC's groundbreaking news magazine '20/20'. For seven years, Chase traveled the globe, delivering hard-hitting investigative pieces that held the powerful to account, proving that women journalists could tackle any subject with authority. In a bold mid-career move, she left the network in 1985 to become a prime-time anchor at KRON-TV in San Francisco, a role that made her a trusted fixture in Bay Area homes. She later returned to ABC, her career a testament to intelligence, adaptability, and a deep commitment to substantive journalism.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Sylvia was born in 1938, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Sylvia Was Born
The biggest hits of 1938
#1 Movie
You Can't Take It with You
Best Picture
You Can't Take It with You
Sylvia's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1938Born
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
1943Started school
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1951Became a teenager
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1954Could drive
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1956Could vote
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1959Turned 21
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1968Turned 30
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1978Turned 40
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 50
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 60
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 70
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 80
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2019Died at 81
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
Key Achievements
- Was one of the original correspondents for ABC's news magazine '20/20' from its 1978 launch.
- Won an Emmy Award for her investigative reporting on a segment about the pesticide EDB.
- Became a prime-time news anchor at KRON-TV in San Francisco, a major market leadership role for a woman in the 1980s.
- Her reporting contributed to '20/20' becoming one of the longest-running and most successful news magazine programs in television history.
Did You Know?
She began her journalism career in radio at KCBS in San Francisco.
Before joining ABC, she was a correspondent for the CBS News program 'Who's Who'.
She returned to ABC News in 1990 after her five-year stint in San Francisco.
She was a founding board member of the International Women's Media Foundation.
“A story isn't finished until you've asked the tough questions.”
