Melissa Francis Biography

Fast Facts

• She was the first reporter to do live broadcasts from the floor of the New York Mercantile Exchange
• Graduated from Harvard University with a degree in Economics
• Worked as a reporter for News 12 New Jersey as well as several other New England TV stations
• Worked at CNBC, where she was an anchor on "Power Lunch," "On the Money," and "The Call․"
• Started out in broadcast news as a producer for WCSH-TV in Portland, Maine and as a researcher for the MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour
• Quote: "What I have learned from a difficult childhood is that, no matter what has happened in the past, you can take charge of your life and be happy․ Your life is your own․"
• Best known as a former child star and as the host of "MONEY with Melissa Francis․"
• Is the author of "Diary of a Stage Mother's Daughter," a book about her life as a 1980s child star
• She was eight years old when she played the role of Cassandra Cooper Ingalls on "Little House on the Prairie․"