In honor of baby Curtis turning five months old today, I have charted out the path of the few women’s page journalists who had children. (Those who did not have children include Roberta Applegate, Gloria Biggs, Marie Anderson, Dorothy Jurney, Marjorie Paxson and Koky Dishon.) For example, Janet Chusmir of the Miami Herald went to work after her children were older. Here is more about Janet. On the other hand, Anne Rowe Goldman, of the St. Petersburg Times, waited to have children until she was near 40 and retired early. Now we are off to the beach!

I am beginning to study the history of home economics in connection with women’s page content. In particular, some of the food journalists were trained in home economics. I am beginning to read this book that takes a new look at the field of home ec – looking beyond the assumption that this was simply a way of confining women to traditional roles. I hope to do the same for the study of women’s pages. Cornell University as a great online exhibit about the history of home ec.

Journalist, feminist and White House spokeswoman Liz Carpenter has died. She was a good friend of many Texas journalists including Vivian Castleberry, women’s page editor of the Dallas Times Herald. Liz’s memoir, “Ruffles and Flourishes,” included the following reference to Milwaukee women’s page journalist Toni McBride: Liz Carpenter was a great woman and a great journalist.