Betty Burroughs was probably working because she was kindness personified. She would work so others with children didn't have to. I sat near Betty in the dingy newsroom at 831 Orange St. I watched her work hoping to learn how to improve my minimal skills. Betty's quiet determination with people she tried to interview on the phone was a lesson I've never forgotten.
Many reporters go from one story to another without much thought to the people involved.
Betty was different. It showed on the faces of people I saw her interview. It manifested itself in the stories and columns she wrote. It lived on in the many friendships she developed while doing her job. What I did not recognize back then was that Betty Burroughs was a pioneer in my profession.