Peggy Daum thesis

I have been going through Peggy Daum’s 1962 master’s thesis from Marquette University – Women’s Pages Today: A Comparative Study of Six Newspapers. Peggy was a women’s page reporter for the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel in the 1950s and 1960s. She became the food editor of the section in 1968 and remained in the position for two decades. It was interesting to learn more about Peggy.

In addition, her thesis was helpful in learning more about women’s sections at the time. Peggy surveyed three of the women’s page editors I have studied: Marie Anderson, Gloria Biggs and Dorothy Jurney. Peggy also interviewed her boss, Aileen Ryan – another research subject.

Her research uncovered interesting relationships between the women’s page editors, readers and management that I plan to explore.

More on Peggy Daum

I had a great interview with Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel food editor Nancy Stohr yesterday. I spoke with her about the late Milwaukee food editor Peggy Daum. Nancy answered several important questions. My favorite bit of information was learning that in the 1950s and 1960s, Peggy worked for women’s page editor Aileen Ryan.



Aileen Ryan won three Penney-Missouri Awards in the 1960s - that's a photo of her receiving the award. I wrote an article about Aileen in Milwaukee History in 2004. She would have been a great mentor for Peggy.

I am collecting information about Peggy for a conference paper on food journalism.

Interviewing Nancy J. Stohs

Today I am interviewing Nancy J. Stohs about Milwaukee Journal food editor Peggy Daum. I am waiting for a copy of Daum's master's thesis from Marquette University.

I am conducting research about food editors of women's sections from the 1960s for a conference paper.

These sections really developed during the 1960s with a focus on food news and an emphasis on professionalism.

Marjorie Paxson article cited

http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p376452_index.html

The article Lance and I wrote about Marjorie Paxson was cited in the above AEJMC conference paper, "Outstanding American Female Journalists in the 1960s: Organizational Promotion of A Professional Identity."

Marjorie was a women's page editor in Texas and Florida before becoming the fourth female publisher for Gannett.

More Peggy Daum research

I am collecting more information on Milwaukee food editor Peggy Daum. Yesterday I received a copy of the above children’s book – Peggy was the food consultant for the project.

I heard back from Special Collections at the University of Arizona (where she earned a B.A. in journalism). Peggy was featured in 14 pages in the yearbook and was the yearbook editor one year. I am hoping to get copies of the pages.

I heard back from Special Collections at Marquette University (where she earned a M.A. in journalism). I learned that her thesis was a comparative study of women’s pages. I ordered a copy of her thesis.

I also heard back from the journalism school at the University of Arizona. (The school gives out a scholarship in her name.) I learned some of the details of her will and I am going to go through probate records to learn more about Peggy.

I plan on including Peggy in a conference paper about food editors and women’s pages - and their role in journalism history.

Carol Sutton article is published

My article about Louisville Courier-Journal women's page editor Carol Sutton has come out in the AJHA journal, American Journalism.



Here is a link to the abstract.

Vivian Castleberry Peace Institute

The Vivian Castleberry Peace Institute at the University of North Texas has been officially approved. It is one of the only institutes of its kind in the county.

Vivian became an active part of the peace movement after she retired as the women's page editor in Dallas. As women's page editor, she helped change the structure of women's news.

I published an article about Vivian in 2007 and am currently working on a book about her.

More about food sections

I came across this great feature about the food section in Milwaukee. It provides a great history, including the increasing focus on food news such as nutrition and food safety. It includes references to Peggy Daum, a food editor from the 1960s who I am researching.

Later this week I will be interviewing the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel food editor Nancy J. Stohl about Peggy.

I am working on a project about the role of food sections in the women's pages.

History society & television exhibit

Yesterday we went to the the television and film costume exhibit at the Orange County Historical Society.

The best connection I can make to women's page editors is Maggie Savoy. Maggie was a women's page editor in Arizona and California in the 1950s and 1960s. Before she became a journalist, she was a writer for the Red Skelton Show - this was after she graduated from USC.

Information about food editor Peggy Daum

I have found more information about longtime Milwaukee Journal food editor Peggy Daum Judge.



Daum is mentioned in the above book about writing recipes.

Here is her obit.

A scholarship is given in her name at the University of Arizona, where she earned a degree in journalism.

She is not included in the book about the history of the Milwaukee Journal although there are three references to the food section.

The food sections originated in the women's pages of newspapers. I am working on writing food journalism into journalism history.

AJHA submission

I just submitted a paper to the American Journalism Historians Association (AJHA) Convention. It is the first time I have submitted research on food journalism - a major part of women's pages.

UPDATE: It was accepted!

Researching food editor Peggy Daum

I have begun researching the career of Milwaukee Journal food editor Peggy Daum. She was a multiple Vesta Award winner (the top prize for newspaper food writing) and edited the above cookbook.

I am writing a conference proposal about 1960s food sections that would focus on the work of Jeanne Voltz, Ann Hamman and Peggy Daum. These sections were a part of women's pages.

Dorothy Jurney article published

We’re off to vacation in St. Pete Beach and celebrate Mother’s Day. Dick Meisner, the brother of legendary women’s page editor Dorothy Jurney, was a mayor of St. Pete Beach in the 1970s. There is a bridge named for Meisner in St. Pete.

My article about Dorothy Jurney came out this month in the journal Journalism History.

Veterans History Project

I spent this week at a seminar on the Veterans History Project that UCF will be a part of in 2010-2011.

There are several connections between veterans and women's page editors. Women's page editors Vivian Castleberry and Colleen "Koky" Dishon were married to WW II veterans.

During WW II, future Nevada women's page journalist Ruthe Deskin became the employee relations director at the Army Ordnance Depot near Herlong, California, about 70 miles north of Reno. She put out the organization’s newspaper and was authorized to administer oaths. In that position, she received “excellent” ratings from her supervisors and earned the Extra-Meritorious Civilian Service Medal. She was one of the few women in the United States to receive that honor.

My article about Ruthe will be published this year.

Ann Hamman FOIA

I just received this Freedom of Information Act request on Indiana women's page editor Ann Hamman. This document shows Hamman's service in the WAAC was from April 29, 1943 to August 8, 1949. She was a first lieutenant and earned a World War II Victory Medal.

I am working on an article about Hamman's career.

Gardening

We spent this weekend working on our garden. Several of the women's page editors were avid gardeners. We found lots of references to flower and vegetable gardens in the letters back and forth between Marjorie Paxson and Dorothy Jurney. One of my favorite photos of Marie Anderson show her in her Miami garden.

These women also liked to cook and decorate. They embraced all of the fours Fs, along with more progressive, feminist content.

Kentucky Derby

Today's Kentucky Derby reminds me of Louisville women's page editor Carol Sutton. She went on to become the first female managing editor of a major metro daily.

She was a native of St. Louis but spent her entire career in Louisville.

My article about Carol comes out in American Journalism later this month. An abstract is available here under Winter 2010.

I recently found new video of Carol that I am hoping to have copied. It was great to actually see her speak.