After 34 years, legendary Boston reporter Jack Harper will be retiring from WCVB ABC 5.
WCVB news director Andrew Vrees announced the news to staff in an email that was published in the Boston Globe.
“In my book, reporters fall into a few different categories: ‘Story-Breakers,’ ‘Story-Chasers’ and ‘Story-Tellers.’ Then there’s Jack Harper who falls into a category all of his own" said Vrees.
"For the last 34 years Jack has made us laugh, scream, and mostly cry. His extraordinary ability to turn the mundane into TV gold has been a gift to this television station and to our viewers. Jack is retiring for all the right reasons. His last day will come at the end of May. Of course, we’ll all take time before then to celebrate a talented colleague and legend in Boston television” Vrees said.
In an email Jack sent to colleagues, he said of all the stories he’s reported — the Oklahoma City bombing and the events of 9/11 — affected him most deeply.
“Quite frankly the victims and their suffering have left some scars, but have also taught me to love those I love and enjoy what I have,” he wrote.
Jack joined WCVB in 1981 as a general assignment reporter, just nine years after WCVB first hit the Boston airwaves. He has also spent some time as a weekend news anchor there.
In addition to covering the Oklahoma City bombing and the events of 9/11, Jack has also covered numerous aviation disasters in Florida, Long Island, Nova Scotia, and Queens during his tenure at WCVB. In May 2000, he traveled to New Mexico to report on that region's devastating wildfires.
Before joining WCVB, Jack worked as a reporter at WEEI Radio in Boston. While there, his coverage of a World Airways plane crash at Logan Airport received a 1982 Distinguished Service Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. Additionally, his coverage of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing contributed to another major station award.
He has also won many individual citations for his reporting excellence, including awards from the Associated Press, United Press International, and the prestigious 1989 Dennis Kauff Award at Boston's most outstanding broadcast journalist.
Before coming to Boston in 1975, Harper worked at other New England radio stations, including WICE in Providence, Rhode Island, and WCNL in Exeter, New Hampshire, where he served as News Director.
A native of Frederick, Maryland, Jack is a 1970 graduate of the Northeast Broadcasting School. He is also a military veteran, having served four years in the United States Air Force, retiring with the rank of sergeant.
