Naming of Hurricanes

The Associated Press recently ran a story about the names of hurricanes. What is left out of the story is the role that Miami feminist Roxcy Bolton (pictured below) played in changing the policy. Prior to her activism, hurricanes were ALWAYS named for women. She got tired of reading headlines about hurricanes with women's names destroying communities. Instead, she suggested that hurricanes be named for senators - since they like to name things after themselves.

By 1979, the policy was changed to alternate women and men's names when it came to naming hurricanes. Here is a story that provides some background.

Roxcy was a friend of Miami Herald women's page editor Marie Anderson.

New Research Finds

I have completed two orders for new material about women's page journalism and food journalism.

From the Fales Library at NYU, I ordered a transcript of an interview between Associated Press food editor Cecily Brownstone and the great food writer Laura Shapiro. I am presenting a paper about Cecily at the National Communication Association Convention this fall.

From the National Women and Media Collection, I placed a large order of copies from the papers of women's page editor and later publisher Marjorie Paxson. It includes references to Paul Myhre, Edee Green and Jim Bellows. There was also a folder devoted to a food editors meeting.

Food writer Prudence Penny

I have been researching syndicated food writer Prudence Penny who penned a column in the women's pages of the Hearst newspapers beginning after World War I. (It was a pen name for several writers - at least one was a man.)

Above is a photo of one of the writers of the Prudence Penny columns. It was taken in Seattle in 1939. It can be found on this blog.

This blog post refers to a Prudence located in L.A.

This blog includes several great references to the history of Prudence Penny.

A Matter of Simple Justice

I have been re-reading this wonderful book, A Matter of Simple Justice. Here is a link to a website for the book.

The book is about Barbara Hackman Franklin and her pioneering work in the Nixon Administration, along with several other government women. It is a good read and the research from primary sources is outstanding. I hope to track down some of the clips listed in the notes.

My favorite parts of the book are about journalist Vera Glaser - whose work often ran in the women's pages - and longtime government employee Catherine East - who often worked behind the scenes to sneak news to women's page editors. These two pioneers are largely left out of the stories about women's history although their contributions were significant. (Betty Friedan described Catherine as the "Deep Throat" for her secret tactics. Vera would have played the Bob Woodward role.)

I wrote a piece about Vera's work a few years ago. I am now working on an article about the relationship between Vera and Catherine. This book will make a great addition to the paper. More documentation of the role between government women and women of the press in the 1960s and 1970s is needed.

In a random connection, the former head of the Nixon Library was John Taylor. His mother Jean was a great women's page editor in Detroit and Los Angeles. I spoke to her a few years ago and included her in a paper about women's roles in the industry organization ASNE.

Sen. Moss's "Attack" on Food Journalists

I recently received a copy of a speech that Sen. Frank Moss gave before a national meeting of newspaper food editors in 1971. The speech, called "Business, the Consumer and You," was in his papers at the University of Utah. He was concerned about the influence of advertisers on the content of the food sections.

I found the talk much milder than the way the press covered it - several reporters referred to it as an "attack" on food editors. His tone is polite and focuses more on overall consumer issues. The "food editors" are not addressed until page 25 of a 32-page speech. (He refers to the editors as "ladies" so there is no question who was dominating the profession at that point.)

The accusations led to the creation of the organization now known as the Association of Food Journalists.

My Guest Post on The Feminist Kitchen

My guest post about food, feminism and Phyllis Diller was just posted to the blog, The Feminist Kitchen. In the post, I address the conflicts between cooking and feminism - a common but unspoken issue for women's page editors. They had to walk a fine line between tradition and progress.

Marjorie Paxson's Papers Indexed

I was so happy to see that the papers of Marjorie Paxson had been inventoried. Here is a link to the finding guide. (I was thrilled to see my name on the list!)

Marjorie was a progressive and influential women's page editor at several newspapers before becoming a publisher in the Gannett newspaper chain. She established the National Women and Media Collection which includes the papers of several women's page editors. The Collection is now housed at the State Historical Society of Missouri.

Kitchen Literacy

I just started reading the book Kitchen Literacy: How We Lost Knowledge of Where Food Comes From and Why We Need to Get It Back. It is a great piece of culinary history. The author, Ann Vileisis, includes the usual sources like David Kamp and Laura Shapiro. Yet, she also does her own reporting - analyzing advertisements and archival materials. I was most impressed with her mixing of news and advertising since consumers obviously get food information from both sources. She does not write much about food reporting in newspapers and instead focusing on women's magazines. (I was happy to find a Jane Nickerson reference - there is a footnote on page 294.)

A chapter in my book will explore the sometimes complicated relationship between advertising and reporting in the food sections of newspapers.

Julia Child's 100th Birthday

Today would have been television cook and cookbook author Julia Child's 100th birthday. There were lots of great stories about her career in the media lately. And, a new biography about Julia was recently published.

What I am beginning to look at is how Julia was covered by the food editors in the women's sections of newspapers at the beginning of her career. It is unlikely that her career would have taken off like it did if not for favorable coverage in the women's pages.

My Book on Food, Newspapers & Feminism

I just signed a contract with AltaMira Press (a division of Rowman & Littlefield) to write a book about food, newspapers and feminism. The book will be part of the new series on Food and Gastronomy.

The book will focus on the history of newspaper food sections - which originated in the women's pages. I will include little known names and stories, as well known names and topics. There will also be a focus on the parallels of the women's pages and home economics in the 1970s.

Film Critic Judith Crist Has Died

Pioneering film critic Judith Crist has died. She is considered one of the first woman to become a full-time critic at a major U.S. newspaper and was among the first reviewers of her time to gain a national following.  

She worked for the legendary Jim Bellows while at the NY Herald Tribune in the 1960s. 
Here is a story about that time:

"She became famous [infamous} for her scathing review of Spender's Mountain, starring Henry Fonda and Maureen O'Hara, being shown at Radio City Music Hall. Crist wrote: "A Film that for sheer prurience and perverted morality disguised as piety makes the nudie shows at the Rialyo look like Walter Disney productions.

Radio City then withdrew its advertising from the newspaper. Tribune publisher Jock Whitney and executive editor Jim Bellows would not be intimidated. They issued an editorial declaration of critical freedom on Crist's behalf. Radio City reneged and the ads in question returned." 

Elvis & Anne Rowe in Florida

Today, the Florida Historical Society featured the above photo on its Facebook page in celebration of Elvis performing in St. Petersburg in 1956.

It was during that visit that Elvis was interviewed by St. Petersburg Times women's page reporter Anne Rowe. Here is the resulting story. The interview was mentioned in her obituary.

Mimi Sheraton, Craig Claiborne and the NYT

I was reading former New York Times' food writer Mimi Sheraton's memoir, Eating My Words, when I came across a telling section about her being hired by the legendary newspaper.

She wrote that when NYT food editor Craig Claiborne (who took over from Jane Nickerson in 1957) left the newspaper in 1972, she and other female New York food writers were not considered as replacements: "Neither I nor any other female food writer I knew was given an interview for his job, no matter her credentials. (If any were interviewed, I still would like to hear about it.)"

Sheraton was eventually hired for the position but it is telling that after so much that women in food journalism were accomplishing, gender could still stand in the way.

New Eugenia Sheppard Image

I just came across this photo of the great fashion writer Eugenia Sheppard - who is on the far left. It was taken in 1964 after designer Pauline Trigere's fashion show in New York City. I have unearthed some great sources about Sheppard lately.

Sheppard covered fashion for the New York Herald Tribune in the 1960s.