Edie Huggins (August 14, 1935 – July 29, 2008) was an American television reporter, journalist, broadcaster and actor. In 1966 Huggins became the second African American women to report on television in Philadelphia, remaining a fixture on WCAU-TV for 42 years; the longest consecutive television run of any Philadelphia TV news reporter in history.

Huggins was born Edith Lou Thompson in St. Joseph. She became known as Edie later in life. She graduated from Bartlett High School in St. Joseph in 1953. Edith graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in science from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh.

Huggins began her career by working as a registered nurse in New York City. Huggins was hired as a consultant for the NBC daytime soap opera, The Doctors, which began airing in 1963. Her consulting soon lead to acting roles on the show. Her other soap opera acting credits include the Edge of Night and Love of Life. Huggins was also cast in the 1966 film A Man Called Adam, opposite Sammy Davis Jr., Ossie Davis, Frank Sinatra Jr., and Louis Armstrong.

Huggins was initially hired as a feature reporter at WCAU-TV of Philadelphia in 1966. In her 2006 interview for her 40th anniversary with WCAU, Huggins confided that she had been hired despite a lack of on-air live television experience. She was hired to compete against the local NBC affiliate, KYW-TV, which had hired its first African American woman reporter. Huggins herself, made history when she joined WCAU by becoming the stations first African American female reporter.

Following her success, the management gave Huggins her own morning show and she also co-hosted a midday news show. Her other shows were, Horizons and Huggins Hero’s, which focused on ordinary local people who had accomplished notable achievements. The show became a weekly profile feature during the 1990’s and the 2000’s decades. I think she would be happy about being honored in this project because she was a local person of St. Joseph who accomplished many notable things.

In 2006, the Philadelphia City Council honored Huggins on her 40th anniversary at WCAU by proclaiming “Edie Huggins Day” in the city. Other career honors include her induction into the Philadelphia Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame. She was also chosen by the Urban League of Philadelphia as one of the “Outstanding African American Philadelphians of the 20th century.” There were many other awards and honors that followed, including a lead role in the independent film, So Big.