Harriet Van Horne (May 17, 1920 – January 15, 1998) was an American
newspaperA newspaper is a publication containing news, information, and advertising. General-interest newspapers often feature articles on political events, crime, business, art/entertainment, society and sports. Most traditional papers also feature an editorial page containing columns that express the...
columnistA columnist is a journalist who writes for publication in a series, creating copy that can sometimes be strongly opinionated. Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs on the Internet....
and
filmFilm encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. Films are produced by recording images from the world with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects....
/
televisionTelevision is a widely used telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images, either monochromatic or color, usually accompanied by sound. "Television" may also refer specifically to a television set, television programming or television transmission...
criticThe word critic comes from the Greek , "able to discern", which in turn derives from the word , meaning a person who offers reasoned judgment or analysis, value judgment, interpretation, or observation...
. She was a writer for many years at the
New York World-TelegramThe New York World-Telegram, later known as the New York World-Telegram and Sun, was a New York City newspaper from 1931 to 1966....
and its successors.
Van Horne was born in
Syracuse, New YorkSyracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2000 census, the city population was 147,306, and its metropolitan area had a population of 732,117. It is the economic and educational hub of Central New...
and graduated from the College for Women of the University of Rochester in 1940.
During the 1940s and 1950s, she appeared frequently on television as a celebrity panelist.
Harriet Van Horne (May 17, 1920 – January 15, 1998) was an American
newspaperA newspaper is a publication containing news, information, and advertising. General-interest newspapers often feature articles on political events, crime, business, art/entertainment, society and sports. Most traditional papers also feature an editorial page containing columns that express the...
columnistA columnist is a journalist who writes for publication in a series, creating copy that can sometimes be strongly opinionated. Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs on the Internet....
and
filmFilm encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. Films are produced by recording images from the world with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects....
/
televisionTelevision is a widely used telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images, either monochromatic or color, usually accompanied by sound. "Television" may also refer specifically to a television set, television programming or television transmission...
criticThe word critic comes from the Greek , "able to discern", which in turn derives from the word , meaning a person who offers reasoned judgment or analysis, value judgment, interpretation, or observation...
. She was a writer for many years at the
New York World-TelegramThe New York World-Telegram, later known as the New York World-Telegram and Sun, was a New York City newspaper from 1931 to 1966....
and its successors.
Life and career
Van Horne was born in
Syracuse, New YorkSyracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2000 census, the city population was 147,306, and its metropolitan area had a population of 732,117. It is the economic and educational hub of Central New...
and graduated from the College for Women of the University of Rochester in 1940.
During the 1940s and 1950s, she appeared frequently on television as a celebrity panelist. Van Horne was a regular on
NBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices in Burbank,California...
's popular series
Leave It to the GirlsLeave It to the Girls was a television series that aired from 1949 to 1954. It originally aired on the NBC Television Network from 27 April 1949 to December 1951, then was picked up by the American Broadcasting Company from October 1953 to March 1954. It has been called "a show where women bashed...
from
1949The year 1949 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1949.
-Events:*January 3 - Colgate Theatre premieres on NBC....
to
1954The year 1954 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1954.-Events:*January 1 - NBC broadcasts the Rose Parade in NTSC color on 21 stations.*January 3 - RAI launched in Italy....
. She was also a regular on the
DuMont Television NetworkThe DuMont Television Network, also known as the DuMont Network, DuMont, Du Mont, or Dumont was one of the world's pioneer commercial television networks, rivalling NBC for the distinction of being first overall. It began operation in the United States in 1946. It was owned by DuMont...
's quiz show
What's the StoryWhat's the Story was an American television game show broadcast on the DuMont Television Network from July 25, 1951 to September 23, 1955 and was originally hosted by Walter Raney. The series aired in eleven different time slots during its four-year run....
from
1952The year 1952 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1952.-Events:*January 14 - NBC's Today show debuts, with host Dave Garroway, newsreader Jim Fleming and announcer Jack Lescoulie....
to
1955The year 1955 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1955.
-Events:*March 5 - Elvis Presley appears on television for the first time...
.
She was a syndicated columnist appearing in the
New York PostThe New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
and other newspapers around the country. In 1960 she covered the
Nixon-Kennedy debatesDuring presidential elections in the United States, it has become customary for the main candidates to engage in a debate...
as a television critic for the Scripps-Howard newspaper chain. Her work landed her on the
master list of Nixon political opponentsA master list of Nixon political opponents was compiled to supplement the original Nixon's Enemies List of 20 key people considered opponents of President Richard Nixon. The master list of 30,000 some people was compiled by Charles Colson's office and sent in memorandum form to John Dean...
.
Van Horne had to deal with prevailing sexism against female journalists. Ray Erwin of
Editor & PublisherEditor & Publisher is a monthly journal covering the North American newspaper industry. It is based in New York City. E&P calls itself "America's Oldest Journal Covering the Newspaper Industry" and describes itself on its website as "the authoritative journal covering all aspects of the North...
described syndicated columnist Van Horne as "a dainty, blue-eyed blonde with a sweet-voiced feminine manner-and a harpoon in her typewriter." In 1972, she published the essay collection
Never Go Anywhere Without a Pencil.
Her husband
David Lowe (producer)David Lowe is an American television producer. He is best known for his work on CBS Reports and Do You Trust Your Wife.Lowe died of a heart attack at the Friar's Club in Manhattan....
was a television producer. Van Horne died of
breast cancerBreast cancer is a cancer that starts in the breast, usually in the inner lining of the milk ducts or lobules. There are different types of breast cancer, with different stages , aggressiveness, and genetic makeup. With best treatment, 10-year disease-free survival varies from 98% to 10%...
in
ManhattanManhattan is one of the five boroughs of New York City, located primarily on Manhattan Island at the mouth of the Hudson River.New York County, which has the same boundaries as the Borough of Manhattan , is the most densely populated county in the United States, with a 2008 population of 1,634,795...
.