I just signed a contract for my article on Colleen “Koky” Dishon for an Ohio history magazine. Koky, the first woman on the masthead of the Chicago Tribune, often mentioned her Zanesville roots so I think she would be pleased with her story being told in this state magazine. I presented a paper about Koky at last fall’s AJHA Convention in Virginia. This is my earlier post about Koky.

Colleen “Koky” Dishon was a groundbreaking journalist. She started her career covering hard news for the Associated Press during World War II. After the war, she was a progressive women’s page editor in Columbus, Ohio, and Milwaukee before moving on to Chicago. She was hired by the Chicago Tribune in 1975 and in 1982, Dishon was named associate editor, becaming the first woman listed in the Chicago Tribune’s masthead. At the Tribune, Dishon created 17 special sections that were often quickly copied at newspapers across the country. In the words of Tribune Managing Editor Ann Marie Lipinski: “Whether you have ever worked for Koky, or ever heard her name before…