Mary McGrory

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Mary McGrory
Born(1918-08-22)August 22, 1918
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedApril 20, 2004(2004-04-20) (aged 85)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
EducationGirls' Latin School
Alma materEmmanuel College
OccupationJournalist • columnist
Years active1947−2003
RelativesBrian McGrory (Cousin)
AwardsPulitzer Prize for Commentary,
Four Freedoms Award

Mary McGrory (August 22, 1918 – April 20, 2004) was an American journalist and columnist. She specialized in American politics, and was noted for her detailed coverage of political maneuverings. She wrote over 8,000 columns, but no books, and made very few media or lecture appearances.[1]

McGrory was a fierce

enemies list. Carlos Lozada wrote in The Washington Post
that,

McGrory is what you get when proximity to power, keen observation skills, painstaking reporting, a judgmental streak and passionate liberalism coalesce in a singularly talented writer — one whose abilities are matched by the times.[2]

Early life and education

She was born in the Roslindale neighborhood of Boston to Edward and Mary McGrory, a tight-knit Irish Catholic family. Her father was a postal clerk and she shared his love of Latin and writing. She graduated from the Girls' Latin School and Emmanuel College, both in Boston.

Career

McGrory began her career as a book reviewer at

The Boston Herald.[3]

In 1947, she was hired by The Washington Star, where she began her career as a journalist, a path she was inspired to take after reading Jane Arden comic strips. She rose to prominence covering the McCarthy hearings in 1954, during which she portrayed McCarthy as a typical neighborhood Irish bully. In 1975, McGrory won the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary for her articles about the Watergate scandal.

McGrory wrote extensively about the

Kennedy presidency. She and John F. Kennedy were close in age, both of Irish descent, and both from Boston. McGrory's exchange with Daniel Patrick Moynihan after the president's assassination was quoted widely: "We will never laugh again," said McGrory. Moynihan, who worked for President Kennedy responded, "Mary, we will laugh again. But we will never be young again."[4]

McGrory was assigned by the Star to travel with

Ethel
at the time.

In 1981, the day after The Washington Star ceased publishing, McGrory began her career at The Washington Post.

In 1985, McGrory received the

Doctor of Laws degree from Colby College. In 1998, she won the Fourth Estate Award, from the National Press Club.[5]

Awards and honors

Works

  • Mary McGrory; Phil Gailey (1 October 2006). The Best of Mary McGrory: A Half-Century of Washington Commentary. Andrews McMeel Publishing.
    ISBN 978-0-7407-6071-6
    .

Death and funeral

McGrory died in Washington, D.C. on April 20, 2004, at 85. After her death, she was interred at a tree-shaded cemetery on the edge of town. [9]

References

  1. ^ John Norris, Mary McGrory (2015)
  2. ^ Carlos Lozada, "Mary McGrory, the revolutionary insider of Washington journalism," Washington Post Oct 8, 2015
  3. ^ "Appreciation: Mary McGrory, Post columnist, dies". www.natcath.org. Retrieved 2016-01-13.
  4. ^ "Inter-American Dialogue | Publication". Archived from the original on 2011-07-28. Retrieved 2009-12-06. Article, Que Hacer – Michael Shifter (October 8, 2001) and [1] 1968 In America: Music, Politics, Chaos, Counterculture and the Shaping of a Generation
  5. ISSN 0362-4331
    . Retrieved 2016-01-13.
  6. ^ "Pulitzer Prize Winners for Commentary". Pulitzer Prizes for Commentary. Pulitizer Prize. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
  7. ^ N. P. R. Staff. "Don't Call Her 'Doll': How Mary McGrory Became 'The First Queen Of Journalism'". NPR.org. Retrieved 2016-04-03.
  8. ^ "Four Freedoms Awards | Roosevelt Institute". Archived from the original on 2015-03-25. Retrieved 2015-09-23.
  9. ISSN 0458-3035
    . Retrieved 2016-01-13.

Further reading
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mary_McGrory&oldid=1288876735"