Melanie Lawson signed off ABC13 KTRK Houston on Thursday night after 43 years, and the station she has given so much of her life to celebrated the longtime anchor with a spectacular sendoff.
The day, which was declared as Melanie Lawson Day in the City of Houston by Mayor John Whitmire, ended with the big announcement that the ABC13 news department conference room will be renamed after Lawson, so she will forever be connected with the daily story selections of Houston's number one-rated television station.
And in my conversation with Lawson at the end of the night, after a "Month of Melanie" honors throughout January celebrating her storied career, Lawson said she was ready to take it easy for the next few days. We can all agree, she's earned that right.
KTRK outdid itself with a fancy events tent, complete with catering, a champagne toast, and a commemorative whiskey glass for guests featuring an etching of the abc13 logo, the "Cheers to 43 years!" inscription, and Lawson's image on the bottom of the glass!
The big event not only featured her current KTRK family, but also folks from other Houston television stations, including Disney executives who flew in.
People seen in the crowd included Joel Osteen, Laura Ward, former mayor Bill White, Jan Carson, Linda Lorelle, Mary Benton, Jerome Gray, Isiah Carey, and Congressman Al Green.
Former KTRK staffers I saw included Tom Koch, Jaime Zamora, Wendy Granato, Ilona Carson, Deborah Wrigley, Lori Reingold, and Justin Sternberg.
And if the famous faces in the tent weren't enough, nationally known figures also offered messages on video in a montage.
Names included were Robin Roberts, Art Rascon, Tamron Hall, Michael Strahan, Ken Jennings of Jeopardy, George Stephanopoulos, Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos, Mayor John Whitmire, Joel and Victoria Osteen, and ABC News Group President Debra OConnell. Maybe the face that got the biggest reaction in a room full of Channel 13 employees was Lawson's former Live at Five co-anchor Bob Boudreaux.
Speakers included KTRK president and general manager Mike Carr, ABC Owned Television Stations president Chad Matthews, and ABC13's news director Keaton Fox.
After the speeches honoring the esteemed anchor, Lawson spoke to the crowd, noting that she grew up during segregation and that she is now leaving the station with the station's first Black general manager.
In retirement, Lawson told me she plans to travel with her husband, John Guess Jr., the CEO of the Houston Museum of African American Culture (HMAAC).
As for more on Lawson's future endeavours, stay tuned to this very blog!
