For as long as I can remember, Marlene Cook has been and remains a North Star for those of us fortunate enough to know her. She has led a life devoted to journalism, the arts, family, and service. A brilliant … Continue reading She is our North Star

Emma Matko Planinsek was born on April 2, 1899, in the small coal mining town of Trbovlje, Slovenia. The 4th daughter of John and Helen Matko, she had six sisters and one brother. Known to her family and friends as “Emica,” she arrived in the United States on April 14, 1921. In 1978, Emma’s daughter, Irene M. Planinsek Odorizzi, wrote Footsteps Through Time, a collection of factual Slovenian immigrant experiences coming to the United States in the early 1900s. The book shed an insightful look at the journeys of a handful of women, including Emma’s personal story. I had the experience … Continue reading Remembering Emma

  There Are Two Sides to Equality Since 1923, activists have been working in the United States to pass the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). American suffragist, feminist, and women’s rights activist Alice Stokes Paul devoted her life to securing equal … Continue reading She Wanted Equal Rights for All Women

Marjorie Holmes loved the Lord. Her faith was strong and inspiring. Because of it, she knew how to use her talent at storytelling to make God relatable to ordinary people. She wrote about her faith making it relevant to the … Continue reading She Loved the Lord

She started her journalistic career while attending high school in her hometown, Joliet, Illinois. Stateville, a maximum security state prison, sits on the rolling edge of the neighboring town of Crest Hill situated on Route 53. It is 37 miles … Continue reading She Pioneered In-Depth Prison and Crime Reporting

“Truth is the most powerful weapon in the world. The responsibility and privilege of the journalist is to seek and find the truth – and tell the world about it – even when the world does not want to hear … Continue reading She Spoke the Truth for Social Justice, Equality and the First Amendment

“American newspapers today have a critical need for more publishers with the honesty, dedication, and character of Katharine Graham.” At first glance, the statement could have been written about the recently released (Dec.2017) Steven Spielberg film, “The Post” starring Meryl … Continue reading She Assumed the Risks to Inform the American People

Savvy newspaperwoman, Helen Waterhouse (Ohio Press Women) beat the Washington correspondents to be the first to interview the new First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, in 1933. Waterhouse had contacted the White House, hitched a plane ride for a Monday interview in … Continue reading She Chased a Story Anytime, Anywhere

While searching for stories to make me shake and shudder this Halloween, I didn’t have to look farther than the clippings I’d collected on National Federation of Press Women’s 1962 Press Woman of Achievement (now known as Communicator of Achievement) … Continue reading She Paved the Way For Female Journalists