Carol Reed
American weather broadcaster
About Carol Reed
Lived 1925 – 1970 (aged 44–45). Carol Reed was an American weather presenter.
Mary Walther O'Hara (1925 or 1926 – June 4, 1970), known professionally as Carol Reed, was an American weather presenter and radio personality. She was the weather presenter for WCBS-TV from 1952 to 1964. Her well received presentation began the trend of women being hired as weather presenters for their appearance. Besides her role as a weather presenter, Reed also hosted a syndicated radio program.
Personal life Mary Walther was born in Johnson City, New York. She attended the College of Saint Rose before attending the Catholic University of America for a master's degree in speech and drama. She married television sound engineer Hamilton O'Hara.
Weather presenter Reed began a career in radio and television in 1949. In 1952, she became the weather presenter for WCBS-TV in New York City, hosting the nightly weather segment "Rain or Shine". Her hiring was part of an attempt by WCBS-TV to draw viewers from WNBT-TV and its popular weather presenter Tex Antoine. This made her the first female weather presenter in a major American city.
Reed was positively received by viewers, and her distinct delivery became well known among New York residents. She came to be identified with her nightly sign-off, "have a happy". When asked to explain the phrase, she said that she means it as "whatever you're doing, have it happy".
Later life Reed would become the commercial spokesperson for Nabisco. She was given her own syndicated radio program, The Carol Reed Show, in which she was an interviewer. She also had a radio show with WCBS, The Talk of New York, in 1966. The same year, she was president of the New York branch of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. She served on both the New York board and the national board. Reed received six regional Emmy Award nominations throughout her career, winning one for "most popular female personality". Reed spent her final years working as a master of ceremonies for charity events. She died of cancer on June 4, 1970, in Mamaroneck, New York at age 44.
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Important facts
People in Carol Reed's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Carol Reed's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Carol Reed?
American weather broadcaster
When was Carol Reed born?
Carol Reed was born in 1925.
When did Carol Reed die?
Carol Reed died on 4 June 1970.
What was Carol Reed's occupation?
Carol Reed was a weather presenter.
What nationality was Carol Reed?
Carol Reed was American.
Sources & further reading
· DBpedia: Carol Reed (weather broadcaster)
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Carol Reed. https://biography.guide/carol-reed-weather-presenter/
MLA: "Carol Reed." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/carol-reed-weather-presenter/.
Chicago: "Carol Reed." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/carol-reed-weather-presenter/.
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