Meg Greenfield
Encyclopedia
Mary Ellen Greenfield (December 27, 1930 – May 13, 1999) was a Washington Post and Newsweek
editorial writer and a Washington, D.C.
insider known for her wit and for being reclusive.
Greenfield was born in Seattle, where she attended The Bush School. She graduated summa cum laude from Smith College
in 1952. She also studied at Cambridge University
as a Fulbright Scholar, and there was friends with Norman Podhoretz
, who also went on to a distinguished career in journalism.
She became influential in a male-dominated world and a close confidante of Post publisher Katharine Graham
. She was awarded journalism's highest honor, a Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing
, in 1978, and spent 20 years as the editorial page editor for the Washington Post, and 25 years as a columnist for Newsweek.
She never married, something she came to regret. When diagnosed with cancer, Greenfield partly retired to Bainbridge Island in her native Washington, where she wrote a posthumously-published memoir entitled Washington. She died of the disease, aged 68.
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
editorial writer and a Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
insider known for her wit and for being reclusive.
Greenfield was born in Seattle, where she attended The Bush School. She graduated summa cum laude from Smith College
Smith College
Smith College is a private, independent women's liberal arts college located in Northampton, Massachusetts. It is the largest member of the Seven Sisters...
in 1952. She also studied at Cambridge University
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
as a Fulbright Scholar, and there was friends with Norman Podhoretz
Norman Podhoretz
Norman B. Podhoretz is an American neoconservative pundit and writer for Commentary magazine.-Early life:The son of Julius and Helen Podhoretz, Jewish immigrants from the Central European region of Galicia, Podhoretz was born and raised in Brownsville, Brooklyn...
, who also went on to a distinguished career in journalism.
She became influential in a male-dominated world and a close confidante of Post publisher Katharine Graham
Katharine Graham
Katharine Meyer Graham 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 to the resignation of President Richard Nixon...
. She was awarded journalism's highest honor, a Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing
Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing
The Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing has been awarded since 1917 for distinguished editorial writing, the test of excellence being clearness of style, moral purpose, sound reasoning, and power to influence public opinion in what the writer conceives to be the right direction...
, in 1978, and spent 20 years as the editorial page editor for the Washington Post, and 25 years as a columnist for Newsweek.
She never married, something she came to regret. When diagnosed with cancer, Greenfield partly retired to Bainbridge Island in her native Washington, where she wrote a posthumously-published memoir entitled Washington. She died of the disease, aged 68.