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Katharine Meyer Graham (June 16, 1917 – July 17, 2001) was an American publisher. She led her family's newspaper, The Washington Post, for more than two decades, overseeing its most famous period, the Watergate coverage that eventually led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... is the 167th day of the year (168th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar (see: 1917 Julian calendar). ... is the 198th day of the year (199th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... The Washington Post is the largest newspaper in Washington, D.C.. It is also one of the citys oldest papers, having been founded in 1877. ... Watergate redirects here. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  US Government Portal      For other uses, see President of the United States (disambiguation). ... Nixon redirects here. ...

Early life

Graham's father, Eugene Meyer, was a financier and, later, a public official. He bought The Washington Post in 1933 at a bankruptcy auction. Her mother, Agnes Ernst, was a bohemian intellectual, art lover and political activist in the Republican Party, who shared friendships with people as diverse as Auguste Rodin, Marie Curie, Albert Einstein and Eleanor Roosevelt, and worked as a newspaper reporter at a time when journalism was an uncommon profession among women. Eugene Isaac Meyer (October 31, 1875 – July 17, 1959) was an American financier, public official, publisher of the Washington Post newspaper, and the father of Katharine Graham. ... Auguste Rodin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... This article is about the chemist and physicist. ... “Einstein” redirects here. ... Anna Eleanor Roosevelt known as Eleanor (IPA: ; October 11, 1884 – November 7, 1962) was an American political leader who used her influence as an active First Lady from 1933 to 1945 to promote the New Deal policies of her husband, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, as well as taking a prominent...

Graham lived a privileged childhood. Her parents owned several homes across the country, but primarily lived between a veritable 'castle' in Mount Kisco, New York and a smaller home in Washington, D.C. Graham often did not see much of her parents during her childhood, as both traveled and socialized extensively, and was raised in part by nannies, governesses and tutors. As a young adult, Graham felt she had been sheltered by such privilege. Mount Kisco (often spelled Mt. ... This article is about the state. ... For other uses, see Washington, D.C. (disambiguation). ...

Her elder sister Florence Meyer (1911-1962) was a successful photographer and wife of actor Oscar Homolka. Florence Homolka (born Florence Meyer) (1911 - 1962) was a successful portrait photographer and socialite. ... Oscar Homolka (August 12, 1898 – January 27, 1978) was an Austrian film and theatre actor. ...

Graham was an alumna of The Madeira School (to which her father had donated much land) and attended Vassar College before transferring to the University of Chicago. In Chicago, she became quite interested in labor issues and shared friendships with people from walks of life very different from her own. After graduation, she worked for a short period at a San Francisco newspaper where, among other things, she helped cover a major strike by wharf workers. The Madeira School is a boarding school for girls located in McLean, Virginia, United States. ... Vassar College is a private, coeducational, liberal arts college situated in the town of Poughkeepsie, New York, USA. Founded as a womens college in 1861, it was the first member of the Seven Sisters to become coeducational. ... For other uses, see University of Chicago (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Chicago (disambiguation). ... San Francisco redirects here. ...

Graham began working for the Post in 1938. While in Washington D.C., Kay met an old schoolmate, Will Lang Jr. The two dated, but broke off the relationship due to conflicting interests. Will Lang Jr. ...

Family

On June 5, 1940 she married Philip Graham, a graduate of Harvard Law School and a clerk for Stanley Reed. is the 156th day of the year (157th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the U.S. Senator from Texas, see Phil Gramm. ... Harvard Law School (colloquially, Harvard Law or HLS) is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. ... For the Indian newspaper editor and British politician, see Stanley Reed Stanley Forman Reed (December 31, 1884 – April 2, 1980) was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court from 1938 to 1957. ...

Leadership of The Washington Post

Philip Graham became publisher of the Post in 1946, when Meyer left that position to become head of the World Bank. Meyer left that position only six months later; he was Chairman of the Washington Post Company until his death in 1959, when Philip Graham took that position and the company expanded with the purchases of television stations and Newsweek magazine. A publisher is a person or entity which engages in the act of publishing. ... The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO) is an American media company, best known for owning the newspaper it is named after, The Washington Post, and Newsweek magazine. ... The Newsweek logo Newsweek is a weekly news magazine published in New York City and distributed throughout the United States and internationally. ...

Social life and friends

The Grahams were important members of the Washington social scene, becoming friends with John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Bobby Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Robert McNamara, Henry Kissinger, Ronald Reagan, and Nancy Reagan among many others. John Kennedy and JFK redirect here. ... “Jacqueline Bouvier” redirects here. ... Robert Kennedy Robert Francis Bobby Kennedy, also called RFK (November 20, 1925–June 6, 1968) was the younger brother of President John F. Kennedy, and was appointed by his brother as Attorney General for his administration. ... Lyndon Baines Johnson (August 27, 1908–January 22, 1973), often referred to as LBJ, was an American politician. ... For the figure skater, see Robert McNamara (figure skater). ... Henry Alfred Kissinger (born Heinz Alfred Kissinger on May 27, 1923) is a German-born American politician, and 1973 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. ... Reagan redirects here. ... Nancy Davis Reagan (born Anne Frances Robbins on July 6, 1921) is the widow of the former United States President Ronald Reagan and was First Lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989. ...

In her 1997 autobiography, Graham comments several times about how close her husband was to politicians of his day (he was instrumental, for example, in getting Johnson to be the Democratic Vice Presidential nominee in 1960), and how such personal closeness with politicians later became unacceptable in journalism.

Philip Graham's illness and death

After several years of suffering from bipolar disorder, Philip Graham had a nervous breakdown. Around this time, Katharine discovered her husband had been cheating on her with Robin Webb, an Australian stringer for Newsweek. Her husband declared that he would divorce Katharine for Robin and he made motions to divide up the couple's assets. For other uses, see Bipolar. ... Divorce or dissolution of marriage is the ending of a marriage before the death of either spouse. ...

At a newspaper conference in Phoenix, Arizona, Philip Graham had a nervous breakdown. Katharine flew to Arizona to retrieve him by private jet, and her sedated husband was flown back to Washington. Philip was taken to the private Chestnut Lodge psychiatric facility near Washington, D.C. He was released after a short stay; subsequently suffered a major depression; and then returned to the facility. In 1963, during a weekend release from Chestnut Lodge, while at the couple's Glen Welby home, he committed suicide. Nickname: Location in Maricopa County and the state of Arizona Coordinates: , Country State County Maricopa Incorporated February 25, 1881 Government  - Type Council-Manager  - Mayor Phil Gordon (D) Area  - City  515. ... Official language(s) English Spoken language(s) English 74. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Chestnut Lodge (formerly known as Woodlawn Hotel) is a historic building in Rockville, Maryland. ... For other uses, see Suicide (disambiguation). ...

Ascension to power

Katharine Graham assumed the reins of the company, and of the Post, after Philip Graham's suicide. Graham was de facto publisher of the newspaper from 1963 onward, formally assuming the title in 1979, and chairman of the board from 1973 to 1991. As the only woman to be in such a high position at a publishing company, she had no female role models and had difficulty being taken seriously by a many of her male colleagues and employees. Graham outlined in her memoir her lack of confidence and distrust in her own knowledge. The convergence of the women's movement with Graham's ascension to power at the Post brought about changes in Graham's attitude, and also led her to promote gender equality within her company.

Graham hired Benjamin Bradlee as editor and cultivated Warren Buffett for his financial advice; he became a major shareholder and something of an eminence grise in the company. Her son Donald was publisher from 1979 to 2000. Benjamin Crowninshield Bradlee (born August 26, 1921) is the vice president of the Washington Post. ... Warren Edward Buffett (born August 30, 1930, in Omaha, Nebraska) is an American investor, businessman and philanthropist. ...

Watergate

Graham presided over the Post at a crucial time in its history. The Post played an integral role in unveiling the Watergate conspiracy, and ultimately led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon. Watergate redirects here. ... Nixon redirects here. ...

Graham and editor Bradlee first experienced challenges when they published the content of the Pentagon Papers. When Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein brought the Watergate story to Bradlee, Graham supported their investigative reporting, and Bradlee ran stories about Watergate when few other news outlets were reporting on the matter. The Pentagon Papers is the colloquial term for United States-Vietnam Relations, 1945-1967: A Study Prepared by the Department of Defense, a 47 volume, 7,000-page, top-secret United States Department of Defense history of the United States political and military involvement in the Vietnam War from 1945... Bob Woodward signs his book State of Denial after a talk in March 2007. ... Carl Bernstein (left) and Bob Woodward (right)This image is pending deletion. ...

In conjunction with the Watergate scandal, Graham was the subject of one of the best-known threats in American journalistic history. It occurred in 1972, when Nixon's attorney general, John Mitchell, warned reporter Carl Bernstein about a forthcoming article: "Katie Graham's gonna get her tit caught in a big fat wringer if that's published." The two words "her tit" were cut on publication. In most common law jurisdictions, the Attorney General is the main legal adviser to the government, and in some jurisdictions may in addition have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions. ... John Newton Mitchell (September 15, 1913 – November 9, 1988) was the first United States Attorney General ever to be convicted of illegal activities and imprisoned. ...

Other accomplishments and recognition

Graham had strong links to the Rockefeller family, serving both as a member of the Rockefeller University council and as a close friend of the Museum of Modern Art, where she was honored as a recipient of the David Rockefeller Award for enlightened generosity and advocacy of cultural and civic endeavors (see External links below). The Rockefeller family, the family of John D. Rockefeller (1839-1937) (Senior) and his brother William Rockefeller (1841-1922), is an American industrial, banking, philanthropic, and political family of German American origin that made the worlds largest private fortune in the oil business during the late 19th and early... Founders Hall Rockefeller University is a private university focusing primarily on graduate and postgraduate education research in the biomedical fields, located between 63rd and 68th Streets along York Avenue, on the Upper East Side of Manhattan island in New York City, New York. ... This article is about the museum in New York City. ... David Rockefeller, Sr. ...

In 1973, Graham received the Elijah Parish Lovejoy Award as well as an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Colby College. For the song by James Blunt, see 1973 (song). ... Elijah Parish Lovejoy (November 9, 1802 – November 7, 1837) was an American Presbyterian minister, journalist and newspaper editor who was murdered by a mob in Alton, Illinois for his abolitionist views. ... Doctor of Laws (Latin: Legum Doctor, LL.D) is a doctorate-level academic degree in law. ... Colby College, founded in 1813, is an elite liberal arts college located on Mayflower Hill in Waterville, Maine. ...

In 1997, Graham published her memoirs, Personal History. The book was praised for its honest portrayal of Philip Graham's mental illness, and received rave reviews for her depiction of her life, as well as a glimpse into how the roles of women have changed over the course of Graham's life. The book won the Pulitzer Prize in 1998. Personal History is the autobiography of Katharine Graham. ... A mental illness or mental disorder refers to one of many mental health conditions characterized by distress, impaired cognitive functioning, atypical behavior, emotional dysregulation, and/or maladaptive behavior. ... The Pulitzer Prize is an American award regarded as the highest national honor in print journalism, literary achievements, and musical composition. ... A listing of the Pulitzer Prize award winners for 1998: Journalism Public Service: Grand Forks (N.D.) Herald. ...

Death

In 2001, Graham suffered a fall while visiting Sun Valley, Idaho. She died three days after the fall, due to trauma resulting from her fall-related head injury. Her funeral took place at the Washington National Cathedral. Sun Valley, Idaho - Bald Mountain - View from Sun Valley Lake Sun Valley is a city and affluent resort community in the central part of the U.S. state of Idaho, adjacent to the city of Ketchum in Blaine County. ... For other uses, see Idaho (disambiguation). ... Washington National Cathedral has been the site of three presidential state funerals: for Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ronald W. Reagan, Gerald R. Ford and a presidential burial for Woodrow Wilson and a memorial service for Harry Truman. ...

Trivia

The character of newspaper owner Margaret Pynchon (played by Nancy Marchand) on the TV drama Lou Grant was said to have been loosely based on Graham.[1] Nancy Marchand (June 19, 1928 – June 18, 2000) was an American actress. ... This article is about the television series. ...

References

• Graham, Katharine (1997). Personal History. New York: Knopf. ISBN 0-394-58585-2. 
• Bradlee, Ben (1995). A Good Life: Newspapering and Other Adventures. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-684-80894-3. 
• Gerber, Robin (2005). Katharine Graham: The Leadership Journey of an American Icon. New York: Portfolio. ISBN 1-59184-104-6. 

Personal History is the autobiography of Katharine Graham. ... Benjamin Crowninshield Bradlee (born August 26, 1921) is the vice president of The Washington Post. ...

Further reading

• Katharine the Great, an unauthorized biography of Katharine Graham that was recalled by the publisher just a couple of weeks after its release, then later released.

External links

• New York Times Paid Death Notices: July, 18, 2001 Inserted by Rockefeller University and the Museum of Modern Art.
• Katherine the Great - slate.com
• The high life of Katharine Graham