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Adrianne Baughns-Wallace was the first female news anchor in Connecticut and the first African-American female news anchor in New England.

Born in 1944 and raised in New York City, Adrianne Baughns-Wallace (born Adrianne Eugene Thomas) attended catholic and public schools and briefly served in the United States Air Force. She got married and moved to Schenectady, N.Y. where she attended the State University of New York at Albany (SUNY) as a “non-traditional” student.

During this time, Baughns-Wallace found her way into broadcast journalism somewhat by accident when, in order to overcome nervousness in public speaking, she auditioned for an on-air position with Channel 13 in Albany. Much to her surprise, she was given the job. After one year as a news anchor at the station, Baughns-Wallace moved to WFSB, Channel 3 in Hartford, Connecticut where she worked as an anchor, producer and reporter from 1974 to 1982. The Hartford Courant called her the “most watched woman in Connecticut” in 1981, the Jaycees named her 1981’s “Woman of the Year,” and she later earned an Emmy nomination and much high praise for her intelligent broadcasts.

Two years after joining WFSB, in September 1976, Baughns-Wallace finally received her Bachelor of Science degree in Communications from SUNY through the Regents External Degree Program and was the graduate speaker.

From 1984 to 1986, Baughns-Wallace broadcasting activities moved outside of television news. She hosted Public Affairs programs, narrated documentaries for Connecticut Public Television, conducted interviews for EssenceTelevision, and hosted a syndicated program for WPIX-TV in New York City.

In 1987, she transitioned into Corporate America when she became the Professional Relations Officer for the Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Company in Hartford. In 1991, Baughns-Wallace became the Executive Director of Operation Fuel, Inc. a state-wide nonprofit foundation providing emergency energy assistance grants to low-income families. She led that organization for six years before leaving Connecticut to live in South Carolina where as a nonprofit consultant; she provided technical assistance to faith and community organizations seeking grants to create Fatherhood Initiatives for the Sisters of Charity Foundation.

In 2000, Adrianne returned to Connecticut where she was appointed Director of Financial Education for the Office of the State Treasurer. She was responsible for creating and facilitating public, private and nonprofit sector collaborations for development and implementation of financial education initiative

Baughns-Wallace is the mother of one son, Jules Baughns, and is married to Dr. Lenzy R. Wallace, a retired educator and consultant.