Elizabeth Crow
Encyclopedia
Elizabeth Crow was an American editor
, journalist
, and businesswoman.
Born in Manhattan
, Crow was the oldest child in a family of six children. Her father, Harrison Venture Smith, was a senior executive at the Morgan Guaranty Trust Company, and her mother, Marlis deGreve Smith, was a housewife. Crow attended Mills College
, earning a bachelors degree in 1968. In the fall of that year she entered Brown University
to pursue a Masters degree, but left just a few weeks into the semester to join the editorial staff at New York
magazine where she worked for the next decade.
In 1974 Crow married Patrick Crow with whom she had three children: Samuel, Rachel, and Sarah. Their marriage ended in divorce. In 1978 Crow left New York to become the editor in chief of Parents
magazine and spent the next several years overhauling both the content and the appearance of that magazine. In 1988 she became the CEO of the American branch of Gruner + Jahr
which at that time was publishing seven different magazines, including Parents. Crow overhauled the content and appearance of all of these magazines, and successfully raised the revenue of all seven by more than 50 percent over the next five years. In 1993 Crow left Gruner + Jahr to become the editor-in-chief of Mademoiselle
. In the last decade of her life she worked in a variety of jobs, including vice president and editorial director of Rodale Inc, editorial director of Primedia
, and editorial director of Consumers Union
. Crow was also notably a long time board member of the Metropolitan Opera
and served on the advisory panel of Opera News
magazine.
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
, journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, and businesswoman.
Born in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, Crow was the oldest child in a family of six children. Her father, Harrison Venture Smith, was a senior executive at the Morgan Guaranty Trust Company, and her mother, Marlis deGreve Smith, was a housewife. Crow attended Mills College
Mills College
Mills College is an independent liberal arts women's college founded in 1852 that offers bachelor's degrees to women and graduate degrees and certificates to women and men. Located in Oakland, California, Mills was the first women's college west of the Rockies. The institution was initially founded...
, earning a bachelors degree in 1968. In the fall of that year she entered Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
to pursue a Masters degree, but left just a few weeks into the semester to join the editorial staff at New York
New York (magazine)
New York is a weekly magazine principally concerned with the life, culture, politics, and style of New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to The New Yorker, it was brasher and less polite than that magazine, and established itself as a cradle of New...
magazine where she worked for the next decade.
In 1974 Crow married Patrick Crow with whom she had three children: Samuel, Rachel, and Sarah. Their marriage ended in divorce. In 1978 Crow left New York to become the editor in chief of Parents
Parents (magazine)
Parents, published by Meredith Corporation, is the oldest parenting publication in the U.S. It was first published in October 1926.Its editorial focus is on the daily needs and concerns of mothers with young children. The glossy monthly features information about child health, safety, behavior,...
magazine and spent the next several years overhauling both the content and the appearance of that magazine. In 1988 she became the CEO of the American branch of Gruner + Jahr
Gruner + Jahr
Gruner + Jahr GmbH & Co. KG is the largest European printing and publishing firm. Its headquarters is in Hamburg, Germany.-History:Originally founded on August 1, 1948 as the Henri Nannen publishing house, Gruner + Jahr was created in 1965 from a merger by acquisition, by publishers John Jahr Sr....
which at that time was publishing seven different magazines, including Parents. Crow overhauled the content and appearance of all of these magazines, and successfully raised the revenue of all seven by more than 50 percent over the next five years. In 1993 Crow left Gruner + Jahr to become the editor-in-chief of Mademoiselle
Mademoiselle (magazine)
Mademoiselle was an influential women's magazine first published in 1935 by Street and Smith and later acquired by Condé Nast Publications....
. In the last decade of her life she worked in a variety of jobs, including vice president and editorial director of Rodale Inc, editorial director of Primedia
Primedia
PRIMEDIA Inc. is privately held American media company fully owned by TPG Capital.Consumer Source Inc. is the sole operating division of PRIMEDIA and helps millions of consumers find apartments, houses for rent, and new homes for sale through its Internet, mobile, and print products...
, and editorial director of Consumers Union
Consumers Union
Consumers Union is a non-profit organization best known as the publisher of Consumer Reports, based in the United States. Its mission is to "test products, inform the public, and protect consumers."...
. Crow was also notably a long time board member of the Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
and served on the advisory panel of Opera News
Opera News
Opera News is an American classical music magazine. It has been published since 1936 by the Metropolitan Opera Guild, a non-profit organization located at Lincoln Center which was founded to support the Metropolitan Opera of New York City...
magazine.