The Washington times., 1931-03-17

chief of The Washington Herald,
was the subject of a character
sketch broadcast last night ny
Edwin Alger. New York radio
reporter" over the National
Broadcasting circuit.
His address follows, in part:
Il am going to tell you to-
night about Eleanor Patterson,
the only woman editor-in.chief
of a metropolitan newspaper.
Mrs. Patterson is the editor of
The Washington Herald.
Mrs. Patterson is a member
of a famous newspaper family
Her greatgrandfather edited a
paper in Ohio more than a
century ago: her grandfather,
Joseph Medill, founded tie Chi
cago Tribune and did much to
further the political ambitions
of Abraham Lincoln; her father
was editor and publisher of
that same newspaper, and her
brother. Capt. Joseph Medill
Patterson, is co-editor and pub
Usher of the Chicago Tribune,
the New York Daily News. and
the magazine, Liberty. So this
family takes naturally to news
paper work. I guess It must
be in the blood.
The Will to Work
But why, do you suppose,
that Mrs. Patterson should
want to exchange a life of
ease and luxury for all the
discomforts of an editors chair?
In a few words, the answer is
the will to work. That and
the fact that four generations
of her family have been iden.
titled with the newspaper bust
ness and they say, you know,
that if you've ever felt the
smudge or smelled the smell
of printers ink, you neve" quite
get over it.
Mrs. Patterson's grandmother
stuck type in her fathers news
paper shop and it was there she
met, and later married, young
Joseph Medill who later marched
to fame and glory in Chicago.
For several years, Mrs. Pat
terson had wanted a newspaper
of her own in Washington. She
planned to start one, then tried
to buy one, and finally to lease
one. She asked William Ran
dolph Hearst to sell her The
Washington Herald or to lease
it to her for a period # ten
years, but he declined to do
so. Mr.. Hearst doesn't like to
sell or lease his newspapers.
He sympathized with her am
bition, however, and one day it
was suggested to her that she
might become editor of the
paper. Mrs. Patterson was
startled a bit by the offer but
in the meantime. Mr.. Hearst
went to Europe.
Gables Mr.. Hearst
80 she decided to send Mr..
Hearst a cablegram telling him
she would accept the editorship.
A day passed, then another
and still another, and she re-
ceived no response. She had
about come 20 the conclusion
that the offer was bit of airy
persiflage, and was beginning
to be bitter at an unkind fate,
when a cablegram-sent by
mistake by mail from a nearby
telegraph office, instead of
being delivered-reached her.
The cable was from Mr.. Hearst
and it instructed her to take
charge of the paper at once.
She hurried to Washington,
walked into the office of the
newspaper, and on a frightfully
hot night in last August she
took charge. And she's been in
complete charge ever since.
She's been editor in deed as
we'll as in name. She's written
editorials, acted as a reporter,
solicited advertisements and
even taken an active part in the
circulation department.
Changes the Atmosphere
II can we'll imagine how the
news staff of The Herald felt
when Mrs Patterson, without
previous announcement or warn
ing, appeared on the scene,
as editor-in-chief. About the
last place on earth where you'd
look for a feminine atmosphere
is the local or reporters and
rewrite mems room of a big
newspaper.
AN editor-in-chief, however
even if she is a woman-is en-
titled to some consideration, so
the staff rolled down it's sleeves,
put on it's coats, despite the
heat. and. fearing the worst, as.
sembled before the new boss.
Suppose we say my being
editor of this paper is just a
stunt began Mrs. Patterson,
but even so let's all try to put
it over And you don't have to
wear coats when I'm around,
either
Goes on Page One
"All was quiet along the
Potomac for the next three
days when Mrs. Patterso> bios
somed forth with a distinct in.
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