- Florida Women's Pages, food editors, food journalism, journalism ethics, journalism history, Peggy Daum, restaurant critics, restaurant reviewing, ruth gray, women's page history
Our Article to be Published in Gastronomica
Lance & I have been going over page proofs for our article. It’s called “Food Fight: Accusations of Press Agentry: A Case for Ethics and the Development of the Association of Food Journalists.” It will be in the Summer 2013 issues of Gastronomica: Journal of Food & Culture. It is a history of newspaper food pages and a case study of Peggy Daum & Ruth Gray’s work. In our paper, we explained:“A regular part of these women’s sections were food pages. These sections were made thick with grocery store and kitchen product advertisements in the 1950s and 1960s. And the food editors had influence. According to a 1953 article in…
You May Also Like
Writing Women into the Curriculum
-
Food Editor Polly Paffilas
I have been researching Polly Paffilas, the longtime food editor at the Akron Beacon Journal. According to her obituary:“”Polly was one of the grand dames of journalism,’ said her former longtime colleague Mickey Porter. “She’d tackle any kind of story.”Her newspaper career covered more than 45 years before she retired in 1987. She and colleague Frances B. Murphey, who died in 1998, broke into the business as temporary hires through Manpower. When the staff was short in the newsroom during World War II, they were called in. It was a male-dominated business when Miss Paffilas signed on in 1942, in the low-tech days of pencils, typewriters and hot metal type.…
You May Also Like
Food Studies Presentation: Ohio Food Editor History
-
Tampa Bay History Center Visit
We had a wonderful visit to the Tampa Bay History Center to celebrate Lance’s new job at the University of Tampa. We started with a visit to acclaimed restaurant Columbia Cafe. I had the “1905 Salad” which was wonderful. I loved the exhibits that focused on social history, such at the Tampa Woman’s Club. Women’s organizations have helped build the foundations of communities including fundraisers for libraries, schools and hospitals. These activities were covered by the women’s pages of newspapers. Another great example was about a Tampa Department Store, Maas Brothers. Lance & I have an article coming out in the Tampa Bay History Journal this year about women’s page…
-
Ruthe Deskin Article to Be Published
Happy to learn that the article Lance & I wrote about Ruthe Deskin is going to be published soon. Budget cuts had delayed the article’s publication. The article is titled: “Where She Stands: Ruthe Deskin and Her Place in the City of Bright Lights and Bigger Personalities After 50 years at the Las Vegas Sun.” Here is more about Ruthe:Acknowledged by Las Vegas Sun Publisher Hank Greenspun himself as the calming force behind his fiery brand of journalism, Ruthe Deskin held the power of the pen in Las Vegas for a half-century of checks and balances, keeping an eye on the grandstanding, greed, and hubris of the city’s leaders and…
- Dorothy Chapman, Florida Women's Pages, food editors, Grace Barr, journalism history, women's page history
Orlando Sentinel Food Editor Dorothy Chapman
As I was researching Orlando food editor Grace Barr, I came across Dorothy Chapman. She had been the women’s page editor at the Orlando Sentinel when Barr was the food editor. When Barr retired in 1969, Chapman became the food editor. In 1971, Chapman became the first restaurant editor at the newspaper. She wrote several cookbooks based on her column, “Thought You’d Never Ask.” According to her obituary: “As the Orlando Sentinel’s first restaurant critic, Chapman wielded her pen and fork with a civil tongue. “We [chefs] gave her a lot of respect because she gave us a lot of respect,” said longtime Orlando restaurateur Major Jarman. “She was fair.…
- Florida history, Florida Women's Pages, food editors, food history, food journalism, journalism history
More About Food Editor Grace Barr
This morning, Lance & I went down to the Orange County Regional History Center to go through the papers of Graham Barr. He was the son of Orlando Sentinel food editor Grace Warlow Barr. I learned quite a bit about Grace. She attended Goucher College in Baltimore before marrying Leal Barr. The couple had twins: Gracia and Graham. They divorced in 1936 and she joined the Sentinel in 1940 to support her family. She initially became the society editor with a column called “Cynthia’s Tea Table Chatter.” The column ended in 1964 and she focused on food. She was the food editor until her retirement in 1969. Her cookbook, Cooking…
You May Also Like
Writing Women into the Curriculum
A website devoted to the history of newspaper women's pages
