Graham, Katharine Meyer

Graham, Katharine Meyer
▪ 2002

      American newspaper executive (b. June 16, 1917, New York, N.Y.—d. July 17, 2001, Boise, Idaho), took over the leadership position at the Washington Post following the death of her publisher husband and guided it to a position of new success, influence, and respect. Among her most important actions were the decisions to publish the Pentagon Papers—secret government documents concerning decisions about the conduct of the Vietnam War—and to allow two of the paper's reporters, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, to investigate what became known as the Watergate scandal and led to the resignation of Pres. Richard M. Nixon. She was the first woman to serve as the head of a Fortune 500 company and was considered the most powerful woman in the U.S. Graham attended Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., from 1934 to 1936 and then transferred to the University of Chicago, from which she graduated in 1938. After working as a reporter for the San Francisco News, she went (1939) to the Washington Post, where her father was editor and publisher. In 1940 she married Philip L. Graham and moved with him to Florida. In 1946 they returned to Washington when, at his father-in-law's behest, he became associate publisher and then publisher of the Post. Her husband became increasingly troubled by mental illness, however, and in 1963 committed suicide; Graham became sole owner of the paper and took over its presidency. Though she initially was uneasy about running the company, which by then included Newsweek magazine, other publications, and a number of television stations, she persevered and, with the addition of Benjamin Bradlee, whom she hired as executive editor in 1965, the paper thrived. Graham became publisher in 1969. In 1971 the Post gained new prominence when it published the Pentagon Papers after the New York Times, which had begun publishing them, was stopped by a federal restraining order. When the Supreme Court sided with the newspapers, freedom of the press prevailed. The next year, following a break-in at Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C., the Post relentlessly investigated the action and its connection to the Nixon reelection campaign. The paper was awarded the 1973 Pulitzer Prize for public service. Graham became CEO and chairman of the board in 1973 and served in those capacities until 1991 and 1993, respectively. In 1979 she turned over the post of publisher to her son, Donald E. Graham, and he also succeeded her when she left her other positions. Graham won her own Pulitzer in 1998—for her autobiography, Personal History (1997).

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Graham,Katharine Meyer — Gra·ham (grāʹəm, grăm), Katharine Meyer. Born 1917. American newspaper executive who as publisher of the Washington Post (1969 1979) oversaw the controversial publication of the Pentagon Papers (1971) and the exposure of the Watergate scandal… …   Universalium

  • Graham, Katharine — orig. Katharine Meyer born July 16, 1917, New York, N.Y., U.S. died July 17, 2001, Boise, Idaho U.S. owner and publisher of news publications. The daughter of Eugene Meyer (1875–1959), owner and publisher of The Washington Post (1933–46), she… …   Universalium

  • Graham, Katharine — orig. Katharine Meyer (16 jul. 1917, Nueva York, N.Y., EE.UU.–17 jul. 2001, Boise, Idaho). Dueña y editora de publicaciones noticiosas estadounidense. Hija de Eugene Meyer (n. 1875–m. 1959), dueño y editor de The Washington Post (1933–46), Graham …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Katharine Graham — Katharine Graham. Katharine Meyer Graham (16 de junio de 1917 17 de julio de 2001) fue periodista y editora del diario The Washington Post desde 1963 hasta su fallecimiento. Contenido 1 …   Wikipedia Español

  • Katharine Graham — Katharine Meyer Graham (June 16, 1917 ndash; 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… …   Wikipedia

  • Katharine Graham — (* 16. Juni 1917 in New York City, New York; † 17. Juli 2001 in Boise, Idaho) war eine US amerikanische Verlegerin, Herausgeberin und Autorin. Inhaltsv …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Katharine — (as used in expressions) Cornell Katharine Graham Katharine Katharine Meyer Hepburn Katharine Houghton * * * …   Universalium

  • Katharine — (as used in expressions) Cornell, Katharine Graham, Katharine Katharine Meyer Hepburn, Katharine (Houghton) …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Katharine Weymouth — Katharine Bouchage Weymouthcite web|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A05E6DE1239F935A15754C0A96E958260 |title=WEDDINGS; Ms. Weymouth And Mr. Scully |date=1998 07 26 |accessdate=2008 07 08 |publisher=New York Times] (b. 1966) is …   Wikipedia

  • Meyer, Eugene — ▪ American publisher born Oct. 31, 1875, Los Angeles died July 17, 1959, Mt. Kisco, N.Y., U.S.       influential leader in American political and social life and publisher of The Washington Post from 1933 to 1946.       Upon graduating from Yale… …   Universalium

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