Edith Kinney Gaylord
Encyclopedia
Edith Kinney Gaylord , also referred to as Edith Gaylord Harper, was born March 5, 1916 in Oklahoma City
to parents Inez and E. K. Gaylord. Her father was editor and publisher of The Oklahoman
and The Oklahoma City Times. Edith attended Colorado College
in Colorado Springs before graduating from Wells College
in Aurora, New York in spring of 1939 with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
She filed stories from New York, Hollywood, San Francisco and Chicago while following Madam Chiang Kai-shek on her tour of America. When first lady Eleanor Roosevelt
insisted the AP send a female reporter to cover her news conferences, Edith was assigned to the task.
In 1944, Edith was elected president of the National Women’s Press Club, and served as secretary of Mrs. Roosevelt’s press conference committee and media liaison between her and the press. She also covered other notable events, including the death of Franklin Roosevelt, the new first lady Bess Truman and the 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in London.
Edith returned to Oklahoma City and rejoined the family business in 1963, serving as a member of the board of directors and corporate secretary for The Oklahoma Publishing Company.
and Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation
to carry out her giving. Robert J. Ross
is the current President and CEO of the foundations. Edith became a charter trustee at Colorado College in Colorado Springs and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from the college in 1992. The University of Oklahoma also presented Edith with an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree in 1997 for her contributions
Edith Kinney Gaylord died January 28, 2001, at St. Anthony’s Hospital in Oklahoma City, the same hospital where she had been born 84
years earlier.
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
to parents Inez and E. K. Gaylord. Her father was editor and publisher of The Oklahoman
The Oklahoman
The Oklahoman is the largest daily newspaper in Oklahoma and is the only daily newspaper that covers the entire Oklahoma City area.-Ownership:...
and The Oklahoma City Times. Edith attended Colorado College
Colorado College
The Colorado College is a private liberal arts college in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States, in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. It was founded in 1874 by Thomas Nelson Haskell...
in Colorado Springs before graduating from Wells College
Wells College
Wells College is a private coeducational liberal arts college located in Aurora, Cayuga County, New York, on the eastern shore of Cayuga Lake. Initially an all-women's institution, Wells became a co-ed college in Fall 2005....
in Aurora, New York in spring of 1939 with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Career
Edith began her journalistic career reporting for her father’s newspaper and radio station in Oklahoma City. In the summer of 1942, she was hired by the Associated Press in New York and was transferred five months later to their Washington, D.C. bureau. She was the first female employee on the general news staff.She filed stories from New York, Hollywood, San Francisco and Chicago while following Madam Chiang Kai-shek on her tour of America. When first lady Eleanor Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt
Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was the First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945. She supported the New Deal policies of her husband, distant cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and became an advocate for civil rights. After her husband's death in 1945, Roosevelt continued to be an international...
insisted the AP send a female reporter to cover her news conferences, Edith was assigned to the task.
In 1944, Edith was elected president of the National Women’s Press Club, and served as secretary of Mrs. Roosevelt’s press conference committee and media liaison between her and the press. She also covered other notable events, including the death of Franklin Roosevelt, the new first lady Bess Truman and the 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in London.
Edith returned to Oklahoma City and rejoined the family business in 1963, serving as a member of the board of directors and corporate secretary for The Oklahoma Publishing Company.
Philanthropy
Edith quietly began her philanthropy efforts in the 1960s, often donating anonymously to those in need. In 1982 she founded both Inasmuch FoundationInasmuch Foundation
- Overview :The Inasmuch Foundation was established in 1982 by Edith Kinney Gaylord . The Foundation is dedicated to upholding the values and interests of its founder...
and Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation
Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation
The was established in 1982 by Edith Kinney Gaylord . The Foundation is dedicated to upholding the values and interests of its founder. President and CEO Robert J. Ross has led EEJF and the Inasmuch Foundation since 2003. The Foundation is currently headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma...
to carry out her giving. Robert J. Ross
Robert J. Ross
Robert J. Ross is President and CEO and member of the Board of Directors of Inasmuch Foundation and Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation, two of Oklahoma’s largest private foundations, which make millions of dollars in donations a year to projects across the nation.Both foundations were...
is the current President and CEO of the foundations. Edith became a charter trustee at Colorado College in Colorado Springs and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from the college in 1992. The University of Oklahoma also presented Edith with an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree in 1997 for her contributions
Edith Kinney Gaylord died January 28, 2001, at St. Anthony’s Hospital in Oklahoma City, the same hospital where she had been born 84
84
Year 84 was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Augustus and Sabinus...
years earlier.
Legacy
Universities in several states have honored the memory of Edith by naming new academic centers or professorships for her.- University of OklahomaUniversity of OklahomaThe University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
, Gaylord College: Edith Kinney Gaylord Library - Oklahoma City UniversityOklahoma City UniversityOklahoma City University, often referred to as OCU, is a coeducational, urban, private university historically affiliated with the United Methodist Church...
, Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Arts Management: Edith Kinney Gaylord Center - Arizona State UniversityArizona State UniversityArizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
, Cronkite School of Journalism: Edith Kinney Gaylord Visiting Professorship in Journalism Ethics - University of Maryland, College ParkUniversity of Maryland, College ParkThe University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
, Knight Hall for Journalism: Edith Kinney Gaylord Library and Resource Center - Colorado CollegeColorado CollegeThe Colorado College is a private liberal arts college in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States, in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. It was founded in 1874 by Thomas Nelson Haskell...
: Edith Kinney Gaylord Cornerstone Arts Center and Edith Gaylord House