Anne O'Hare McCormick: Newspaperwoman Extraordinaire!
August 25, 2004
The ODU Library is proudly exhibiting books,
photographs, and artifacts relating to the life of Anne O’Hare
McCormick, 1898 graduate of the Academy of St. Mary of the Springs,
the institutional predecessor of Ohio Dominican University. McCormick
achieved greatness in the world of newspaper journalism, but kept in
touch with her roots leaving a large portion of her collections and
memorabilia to her alma mater after her death in 1954.
Items in the display include first editions of McCormick’s
published books including a hand-written letter that was enclosed with
one of them; some of McCormick’s medals including the French
Légion d’Honneur and the Lætare medal;
McCormick’s honorary degree from the St. Mary of the Springs College
dated 1928; the original certificate from 1937 awarding Anne O’
Hare McCormick the Pulitzer Prize in Journalism from the Trustees of
Columbia University; a book signed by President Harry Truman; several
photographs; and samples of McCormick’s articles written during
the mid-1930s, foreshadowing the impending second World War.
Anne O’Hare McCormick rose to the top of the
male-dominated profession of journalism initially by sheer persistence,
and secondly, by consistently providing readers with a keen analysis
of world issues. Her respectful and ladylike manner contributed to her
success in obtaining interviews with such important political figures
as Dwight D. Eisenhower, Adolph Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Franklin Delano
Roosevelt, Joseph Stalin and Harry Truman. Yet, she seldom took notes
because she claimed, “it makes people too cautious.” Rather
than focusing on lengthy verbatim quotes, she strove to present ideas
and the essence of subjects’ minds; her foresight proved to be
uncannily accurate.
In her regular New York Times column, “Abroad,”
Anne O’Hare McCormick presented some of the twentieth century’s
most complex, life-altering events to a public that learned to rely
on her interpretations. This reputation earned McCormick numerous honorary
degrees and awards, as well as the privilege of becoming the first woman
on the editorial board of The New York Times.
The Anne O’Hare McCormick exhibition is located
in the display cases at the foot of the stairs on the bottom floor of
Spangler Learning Center. The display will be open through the end of
the fall semester. However, you can always visit the permanent historical
marker commemorating Anne O’Hare McCormick and the Academy of
St. Mary’s of the Springs located on the grounds of the Motherhouse
behind Spangler.
