Joan Younger Dickinson

Joan Younger Dickinson joined the United Press in New York City in 1939 – as the first full-time female reporter in the wire service’s history. During her tenure, she cover the arrival of the Duchess of Windsor to the Bahamas and she was one of five reporters who followed Madame Chiang on her two-month coast-to-coast tour of America. She went on to the Ladies Home Journal in 1946. She wrote monthly newsfeatures for the public affairs department. She also wrote several of the “How America Lives” profiles.

I have an article about Joan under review at a state history journal. It is based on a talk I gave about Joan at the Popular Culture Association Conference this Spring. Material about Joan came from her personal and professional papers at the American Heritage Center at the University of Wyoming, as well as interviews with her daughters.

I appreciate the American Heritage Center funding the travel to go through Joan’s papers.