Profile Text
Williams at NBC Universal’s Press Tour Cocktail Party, Langham Hotel, Pasadena, CA. 01-10-10, s_bukley /Bigstock.com
Birth Name: Brian Douglas Williams
Place of Birth: Ridgewood, New Jersey, U.S.
Date of Birth: May 5, 1959
Ethnicity: Irish, one quarter Swedish, some German
Brian Williams is an American journalist and television news anchor. He anchored NBC Nightly News , from 2004 to 2015, and MSNBC’s The 11th Hour , from 2016 to 2021.
He is the son of Dorothy May and Gordon Lewis/Louis Williams, an executive vice president of the National Retail Merchants Association in New York. He is married to television producer Jane Gillan (Stoddard), with whom he has two children, actress, comedian, and singer Allison Williams , and reporter and anchor Doug Williams.
Brian’s paternal grandfather was William Lionel Williams (the son of William L. Williams and Sarah Amelia Welch). Brian’s grandfather William was born in New York.
Brian’s paternal grandmother was Jane Helene “Jennie” Malenberg/Malmberg (the daughter of Johan/John August Malmberg and Magdalena Jacobina Mattson/Anderson). Jane was born in New York, to Swedish parents.
Brian’s maternal grandfather was Walter John Pampel (the son of Josephus P. Pampel and Anna C. McManus). Walter was born in Chicago, Illinois. Josephus had German ancestry, and was the son of Godfrey B. Pampel, who was born in Strasbourg, Alsace-Lorraine, and of Paulina E. Work. Anna was the daughter of Irish parents, John McManus and Margaret Harvey.
Brian’s maternal grandmother was Mary Costello (the daughter of James P. Costello and Julia A. O’Rourke). Mary was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Irish parents. James was the son of John Costello and Margaret Keating. Julia was born in Carlow, the daughter of Lawrence O’Rourke and Mary.
Sources: Genealogies of Brian Williams – http://gw.geneanet.org https://www.geni.com
Genealogies of Brian’s parents – http://www.findagrave.com
Brian’s father on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org