He began his television news career as a reporter and cameraman, covering major civil rights stories around the South.

From 1965-67 he served as an infantry lieutenant in the U.S. Army in Seoul, South Korea, and Fort Gordon, Georgia. Upon his return to WSB in 1967, John resumed his reporting career, eventually rising to the position of weekend anchor. In 1973 he became anchor of the 6 and 11 p.m. news.

In 1978 John joined WXIA-TV as evening news anchor, but in 1994 rejoined WSB to anchor the 6 and 11 p.m. news. John anchored his last 11 p.m. newscast at WSB-TV on July 7, 2010, ending a 41 year run as a late news anchor.

John has a history degree from Davidson College and has received many awards for his anchoring and reporting. He has won ten Emmys, including Best Male Anchor and Best Documentary; five Sigma Delta Chi Quill Awards; the UPI Award for his coverage of Jimmy Carter's presidential campaign and coverage of a north Georgia airliner crash; the Georgia Winner Award for Public Service; Father of the Year, Pioneer Broadcaster Award from the University of Georgia journalism school; the Silver Circle Award from the National Academy of Radio Arts and Sciences; an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Public Service from Presbyterian College (2004) and the Distinguished Achievement in Broadcastiing Award from DiGammaKappa at University of Georgia School of Journalism (2006).

Some of the major stories John has covered include Jimmy Carter's gubernatorial and presidential campaigns, the civil rights movement, the funeral of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the first flight of Lockheed's C5 Galaxy, the 1968 kidnapping of heiress Barbara Jane Mackle, the 1983 bombing of the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, the 1989 San Francisco Bay-area earthquake, the presidential inaugurations of Presidents Carter and Clinton, 11 Democratic and Republican conventions, and the aftermath of the September 11th attack on the World Trade Center.

John is an active volunteer with many groups, including Literacy Action, the Nature Conservancy of Georgia and the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation.

John and his wife, Andrea, have been married for four decades and have two daughters, Kristina and Lisa and five grandchildren. The Pruitts have four dogs -- three Golden Retrievers and one Long-Haired Dachshund.

You can email John at john.pruitt@wsbtv.com

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