Center for a New American Security

Karen Elliott House retired in March 2006 as senior vice president of Dow Jones & Company and publisher of all print editions of The Wall Street Journal.  She was also a member of the company's executive committee.

She was a Senior Fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard in 2007-08 and is currently  researching a book on Saudi Arabia. 

Prior to being appointed publisher of The Wall Street Journal in July 2002, Ms. House had been president of Dow Jones' international group since January 1995.  She was responsible for the business and editorial staffs of all Dow Jones overseas publications and services, international sales operations, overseas investments and publishing partnerships.  She also had responsibility for oversight for Dow Jones of CNBC Europe and CNBC Asia Pacific, a business television partnership of Dow Jones and NBC. 

Ms. House began her journalism career at the Dallas Morning News.  In 1974, she joined the Journal's Washington, D.C., bureau where she covered energy, environment and agriculture.  She was named diplomatic correspondent in 1978, moved to New York in 1983 as assistant foreign editor and became foreign editor in 1984.  In March 1989, she was named vice president of Dow Jones' international group.

In 1984, Ms. House received a Pulitzer Prize in international reporting for her coverage of the Middle East.  Other journalism awards include: the Overseas Press Club's Bob Considine Award for best daily newspaper interpretation of foreign affairs (1984 and 1988); the University of Southern California's Distinguished Achievement in Journalism Award (1983); Georgetown University's Edward Weintal Award for distinguished coverage of American foreign policy (1980); and the National Press Club's Edwin M. Hood Award for Excellence in Diplomatic Reporting for a series on Saudi Arabia (1982).

Ms. House is a former director and a current member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a member of the board of the Trilateral Commission.  She is a former trustee of Boston University, and a member of the board of trustees of RAND.  She is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a former trustee of The Asia Society and a member of the advisory council for the College of Communication at the University of Texas.

A native of Matador, Texas, Ms. House received a journalism degree from the University of Texas at Austin, where she was managing editor of the student newspaper.  In 1992, she received a University of Texas distinguished alumnus award, and in 1996, the university's College of Communication named her outstanding alumnus.  She was awarded an honorary degree by Lafayette College, Easton, Pa., in 1992 and by Boston University in 2003.

She and her husband, Peter Kann, have four children: Hillary Lane, Petra Kann, Jason Kann and Jade Kann.