Chris Wallace

Wallace in 2010, photo by Jim Greenhill

Place of Birth: Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

Date of Birth: October 12, 1947

Ethnicity: Ashkenazi Jewish

Chris Wallace is an American television anchor, journalist, and political commentator. He has worked for CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox News, and CNN, and has hosted the show Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace? since 2022. He previously hosted the shows Meet the Press, from 1987 to 1988, Fox News Sunday, from 2003 to 2021, as well as NBC Nightly News, Primetime Thursday, and Nightline.

Chris is the son of Norma and Mike Wallace (Myron Leon Wallace), a prominent journalist, media host, actor, and television personality. His stepfather, Bill Leonard, was a journalist and television executive.

He was named Christopher because he was born on Columbus Day.

Chris is married to Lorraine Smothers. He has four children with his former wife Elizabeth Farrell. Lorraine is the former wife of Dick Smothers of the Smothers Brothers. Chris’s daughter-in-law is journalist Jennifer Breheny Wallace.

Chris’s paternal grandfather was named Friedan/Frank Wallik/Wallace (the son of Baruch Wallik). Friedan was born in Russia.

Chris’s paternal grandmother was Zina Sharfman (the daughter of Natan Isaac HaLevi Sharfman and Rhoda Shikes). Zina was born in Russia. Natan was the son of Nachman Sharfman.

Chris’s maternal grandfather was Ludwig Kaphan (the son of Nathan Kaphan and Augusta Harlam). Ludwig was born in Sroda Wielkopolska, Poland, to a father from Miloslaw and a mother from Poznań.

Chris’s maternal grandmother was Gertrude Wald (the daughter of Isaac Wald and Ernestine Rosenmann). Gertrude was born in New York, to a father from Austria and a mother from Germany.

Sources: Genealogy of Chris Wallace – http://www.geni.com

Chris’s mother on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Obituary of Chris’s maternal grandmother, Gertrude (Wald) Kaphan – https://news.google.com