Carol Sutton (June 29, 1933-February 19, 1985) was an American journalist who in 1974 became the first female managing editor of a major U.S. daily newspaper, The Courier-Journal in Louisville, Kentucky. [1] [2] She was cited as the example of female achievement in journalism when Time named American Women as the 1975 People of the Year. [3]
Family and early life
editSutton lived her childhood in St. Louis, Missouri. [1]
Carol was married to Charles Whaley, and they had two daughters. [4]
Career
editFirst career was a social worker. She graduated from the University of Missouri with a degree in journalism in 1955. With no reporting position available Sutton began at the Louisville Courier-Journal as a secretary to , and with in the year she had a position as a reporter.
Louisville Courier-Journal
editIn 1963 Sutton was named editor of the Women's World section. [1] In 1974 she became the first female managing editor of a major U.S. daily newspaper, The Courier-Journal in Louisville, Kentucky. [1] In 1976, she was named assistant to Barry Bingham Jr., publisher of The Courier-Journal and The Louisville Times. Sutton spent her entire career at the Louisville newspapers. Since 1979 she has held the position of senior editor of the Louisville Courier-Journal and the Louisville Time.
During her tenure at the paper, it was awarded the 1976 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography for its coverage of school desegregation in Louisville. The newspaper won Sigma Delta Chi and Roy Howard awards for public service for coverage of school desegregation in Louisville. She is also credited with significantly raising the number of minority reporters on staff. [1]
Women in the media
editSutton was on the forefront of changes in the way that media reported on women and was reported by women. From her position as the editor of women's section, Sutton transformed the Women's World section at the Louisville Courier-Journal that covered society news and household tips to the "Today's Living" section that covered abortion, miagrant labor, and other hard news stories. [1] [4]
Death
editCarol Sutton died of cancer on February 19, 1985 at age 51. [1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g New York Times News Service (20 February 1985). "Deaths Carol Sutton Newspaper Woman". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. Daytona Beach, Florida: News Journal Corp. pp. 4C. Retrieved 12 March 2010.
- ^ McFadden, Robert D. (20 Feb 1985). "Carol Sutton, Ranking Editor In Louisville, Ky., Dead at 51". The New York Times. New York, New York: The New York Times.
{{cite news}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ "American Women". Time. New York, NY: Time Inc. 5 January 1976. Retrieved 12 March 2010.
- ^ a b Boren, Ray (24 June 1977). "Gain for women in medai cited". The Deseret News. Salt Lake City, Utah. pp. 14A. Retrieved 13 March 2010.
- "Carol Sutton." Almanac of Famous People, 8th ed. Gale Group, 2003.