In my research on Milwaukee Journal women’s page journalists, I came across a new name yesterday: Constance Daniell.

I love the lead in her obituary. It sums up the career of so many of the women I have studied:

“Constance Daniell’s career in journalism evolved just like the women’s sections for which she wrote. She began with society reporting. Her work grew to include the full range of feature assignments.”

She, like some many women in the 1960s, were both serious journalists and interesting characters. I liked this image of her:”I can still see her traipsing around the newsroom in a ball gown, filing a live report on debutante balls and the like.”

I also found this amazing anecdote: “One story likely saved Daniell’s own life.

In 1974, Daniell went to the old Milwaukee County General Hospital to write about the new mammogram technology. She underwent a mammogram herself, to better understand it and explain it to readers.

The results were not good.

Daniell gave the surgeon permission to do what he thought was necessary. She admitted that she was not afraid of dying. She was afraid of losing her breast – or, even worse, both breasts.

She wrote about what happened next. “Did they take the breast?” Daniell asked, coming to in the recovery room. The nurse nodded.

“How many?” she asked. “One,” came the answer. “Good,” Daniell replied. “Everything is relative,” she later wrote.”

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In my research on Milwaukee Journal women’s page journalists, I came across a new name yesterday: Constance Daniell.

I love the lead in her obituary. It sums up the career of so many of the women I have studied:

“Constance Daniell’s career in journalism evolved just like the women’s sections for which she wrote. She began with society reporting. Her work grew to include the full range of feature assignments.”

She, like some many women in the 1960s, were both serious journalists and interesting characters. I liked this image of her:”I can still see her traipsing around the newsroom in a ball gown, filing a live report on debutante balls and the like.”

I also found this amazing anecdote: “One story likely saved Daniell’s own life.

In 1974, Daniell went to the old Milwaukee County General Hospital to write about the new mammogram technology. She underwent a mammogram herself, to better understand it and explain it to readers.

The results were not good.

Daniell gave the surgeon permission to do what he thought was necessary. She admitted that she was not afraid of dying. She was afraid of losing her breast – or, even worse, both breasts.

She wrote about what happened next. “Did they take the breast?” Daniell asked, coming to in the recovery room. The nurse nodded.

“How many?” she asked. “One,” came the answer. “Good,” Daniell replied. “Everything is relative,” she later wrote.”

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