Why do we love Katharine?

Some people are born to greatness, and some, like Katharine Meyer Graham, have it thrust upon them. She was born into a family of wealth and power at a time when such things were the domain of men. Her father was the owner of The Washington Post and Katharine, who shared his love for journalism, joined the editorial staff after college. Following her marriage to Phillip Graham, Katharine left the Post to be with him while he served in the Army during World War II. After the war, the Grahams returned to Washington and Phillip became associate publisher of the paper, and owner when Katherine's father sold them the company for a dollar. Katherine concentrated on raising their four children while Phillip tended and expanded the business. Sadly, he suffered from manic depression and took his life in 1963, leaving Katherine in charge of The Washington Post Company and all its holdings, including Newsweek. Buoyed by her zest for the newspaper business, sharp mind, and natural inquisitiveness, Katharine took her place as the only woman in the editorial room. With tenacity and determination, she took the reigns of the Post and made it the most influential newspaper in a town that lives for power and influence.

In 1971, her decision to publish the Pentagon Papers, which detailed the U.S. military involvement in Vietnam, was upheld by the Supreme Court and is considered a major victory for freedom of the press. Katharine once again faced controversy when her investigative team of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein blew the lid off of the break-in at the Democratic National Headquarters at the Watergate apartment complex in June of 1972. She was often referred to as "the most powerful woman in the world." She dismissed the title, yet how many women have been instrumental in not only the undoing of a president, but the redefinition of politics on a national level, not to mention leaders of top Fortune 500 corporations?

Biography:

Born - June 16, 1917
New York, New York
Died - July 17, 2001
Sun Valley, Idaho

Achievements:

• Graduates from the University of Chicago, 1938
• Takes over as president of The Washington Post in 1963 following her husband's death
• Decides to print the Pentagon Papers in 1971
• Under her leadership, the Post begins Watergate coverage with Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein in 1972
• In 1973, is named chairman of the board and chief executive officer, and is awarded The Zenger Award of Freedom of the Press and the People's Right to Know
• The Washington Post receives a Pulitzer Prize for its Watergate coverage - 1973
• Awarded the Press Club's President's Award for lifetime achievement in journalism in 1997
• Publishes her autobiography Personal History in 1998 for which she receives a Pulitzer Prize