Katharine Graham
Publisher of The Washington Post during Watergate.
She presided over the paper as it reported on the Watergate scandal, which eventually led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon. She was one of the first 20th-century female publishers of a major American newspaper and the first woman elected to the board of the Associated Press.
- died
- July 17, 2001
- field
- Newspaper publishing
- nationality
- American
Lore & Background
She attended a Montessori school, The Potomac School, The Madeira School, Vassar College, and the University of Chicago. Graham hired Benjamin Bradlee as editor and cultivated Warren Buffett for financial advice. She supported the publication of the Pentagon Papers and the investigative reporting of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein on Watergate.
Reader's Guide
Katharine Graham's significance lies in her leadership of The Washington Post during a transformative period in American journalism. She was one of the first 20th-century female publishers of a major American newspaper and the first woman elected to the board of the Associated Press. Her tenure saw the Post play an integral role in unveiling the Watergate conspiracy, which led to President Nixon's resignation. Graham also promoted gender equality within her company, influenced by the women's movement. There are some things the general public does not need to know, and shouldn't. I believe democracy flourishes when the government can take legitimate steps to keep its secrets and when the press can decide whether to print what it knows.'
Did You Know?
- Graham was the first woman elected to the board of the Associated Press.
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