CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE "AGGIE": THE BIOGRAPHY OF LOS ANGELES NEWSPAPERWOMAN AGNESS UNDERWOOD A thesis submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Mass Communication by Shirley Jean Saito January 1988 The Thesis of Shirley Saito is approved: Dr. Tom Reilly Dr-:·' Sus-an H~n~{(iTai r California State University, Northridge ' f.l TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract iv CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION . 1 II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE ................... 13 III. METHODOLOGY ................ ~ ........... 56 IV . THE EARLY YEARS . 7 3 V. BREAKING INTO JOURNALISM ............... 106 VI. HEARST REPORTER ....................- .... 151 VII. MOVING INTO MANAGEMENT ................. 187 VIII. CREATING AN IMA.GE .....•.....•...•....... 226 IX. CONCLUSIONS 254 BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................ 271 APPENDIX . 2 8 0 ABSTRACT "AGGIE": A BIOGRAPHY OF LOS ANGELES NEWSPAPERWOMAN AGNESS UNDERWOOD by Spirley Jean Saito Master of Arts in Mass Communication Agness Underwood's journalism career spanned more than four decades, from 1926 when she began working as a part-time switchboard operator for the Los Angeles Record until she retired in 1968 as assistant managing editor of the Los Angeles Herald Examiner. For the majority of her career, she worked for Hearst newspapers in Los Angeles, establishing a reputation as a top crime and court reporter during the 1930s and 1940s, but it was her promotion to city editor of the Los Angeles Herald-Express in 1947 that made history. Rarely, if ever, had a woman broken the management barrier on a major metropolitan daily newspaper. She held the position for 17-1/2 years, more than four times longer than any of her male predecessors. Although this thesis encompasses Underwood's entire life, it focuses on the relationship between the personality traits and motivationa~ forces established during her formative years and her later accomplishments as an adult in a male-dominated profession. Orphaned at age 5, Underwood lived with an Indiana foster family until age 15 when she left for California alone to begin a new life. The findings of this study reveal that the insecurity and low self-esteem Underwood felt as a child contributed to her drive to succeed as an adult. It is further concluded that her effectiveness as a journalist was based on a combination of innate personal qualities (intelligence, compassion and curiosity) and survival skills (skepticism, resourcefulness and perseverance) learned during the struggle to survive on her own at an early age. This thesis also examines Underwood's image as an aggressive newspaperwoman in the "Front Page" tradition--an image that remained essentially the same throughout her career. v CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Los Angeles journalist Agness Underwood, who died on July 3, 1984, often is described as the first woman city editor of a major U.S. metropolitan daily newspaper. 1 Her career began in 1926, when as a young wife and mother she went to work at the Los Angeles Record to help temporarily with the support of her family.2 She retired from newspaper work 42 years later as the assistant managing editor of the Los Angeles Herald Examiner. For the majority of her career, she worked for Hearst newspapers in Los Angeles, establishing a reputation as a crime and court reporter during the 1930s and 1940s. In 1947 she became city editor of the Los Angeles Herald-Express, a position she held four times longer than any of her male predecessors.3 This thesis is a biographical study of Agness Underwood particulary focusing on the elements of her early life that contributed to her success as a newspaperwoman. Particular attention is paid to environmental, economic and psychological factors during her formative years. 1 Research Questions The following research questions form the organizational framework for this study: 1) In what ways did the struggle of her early years influence her behavior in later life? In what ways did it influence her success? 2) Which of Underwood's qualities were important to her acceptance in the city room? 3) What did Underwood have to do differently or more intensely than her male counterparts to succeed and survive? 4) was Underwood accepted as an equal by her male colleagues? If so, what elements of her background andjor character were most likely responsible? If not, why was this the case? 5) What was her image in the media and how was it perpetuated? How did the public perception of her friends, family and co-workers? What part did her autobiography play in the public's perception of her? In what ways, if any, did her image change over the years? 6) In what ways, i.f any, did her self-image change over the span of her career? 7) What qualities contributed to her longevity as a city editor? 8) What lessons from Underwood's career and personal life are relevant to contemporary women journalists, 2 particularly those in management? Hypotheses This study explores the following hypotheses: 1) The insecurity and low self-esteem Underwood felt as a child made her try especially hard to succeed as an adult. 2) The acquisition of stereotypical male survival skills during her youth helped her as a reporter. 3) Underwood's approach to reporting helped gain acceptance among her male colleagues and competitors. 4) She,had interpersonal skills--such as empathy-- more associated with women than men which helped her both as a reporter and an editor. 5) Underwood worked in journalism at the right time. There was a good match between Underwood's values and priorities and the· type of journalism that was then practiced by newspapers in Los Angeles. 6) Underwood's image changed over the span of her 42-year career to coincide with the changes occurring in journalism and society. As newspapers became less sensational, her public image became less flamboyant. As the concept of women in the workplace became more common, Underwood was portrayed less frequently as a women doing a man '·s job. 3 Methodology This study uses the historical method to test the previously stated hypotheses. This is done by systematically gathering and reading extensive primary material on all aspects of Underwood's life, particularly those that relate to the focus of this thesis. Secondary material provides the necessary information to interpret and analyze the primary data qualitatively. A majority of primary data comes from a collection of Underwood's personal letters, periodicals, photographs and memorabilia (dated 1920-1982). This material, described in detail in Chapter Three, is supplemented with additional printed material culled from local libraries, audio and video tapes and interviews with former colleagues, friends and relatives. Secondary material comes from a thorough literature search conducted in several Los Angeles libraries. This process is described at length in Chapter Two. Background Although women in journalism were not commonplace during the first part of the century, neither were they a rarity. Underwood's publisher, William Randolph Hearst, was known for hiring women reporters.4 But being a newspaperwoman did not necessarily mean having equal access to the same news beats as newsmen. Most newswomen were delegated to the society or arts 4 sections. A few like Underwood covered crime, government or sports events. However, management positions, with the occasional exception of a society or feature section editorship, were out of reach for women. According to a 1938 book which was based on extensive research of the job opportunities open to women journalists, women could aspire to jobs primarily in "soft news'' areas. News editorships were not even mentioned as a remote possibility. Recent research indicates that even today, more than forty years after Underwood broke the management barrier, ·women have not made giant strides toward obtaining management positions on major American newspapers. That is not to say that there are no women holding editorships, but the numbers are still relatively small when compared to men in the same positions.s When Underwood got her first job on a newspaper as a switchboard operator, her dream was not of becoming a news editor. In fact she didn't have any ambition of becoming a reporter. She just wanted to have a job that would pay for the silk stockings her husband told her he couldn't afford to buy for her.6 But it didn't take long for her to become mesmerized by the fast pace and excitement of the newspaper business. The excesses of the 1920s seemed to be magnified in Los Angeles--a city unsaddled with Eastern tradition and values. The newspapers reflected the city's young, undisciplined spirit. News of the day ran the gamut from 5 crime to city government to real estate booms to sensational murder trials. Stars of a rapidly emerging movie industry provided reporters with plenty of glamour and outrageous behavior. 7 And flamboyant evangelists like Aimee Semple McPherson showed the press that even religion did not have to be dull.a It wasn't long before Underwood decided that she wanted to be a reporter. But not just any kind of a reporter--a city-side reporter.9 It seemed an unlikely possibility. Most city-side reporters were men. In 1929, as the country was thrown into the Great Depression, Underwood began to make inroads into the city room. Over the next few years she covered sports and hard news stories sporadically, doing the bulk of her work for the women's section.10 In 1934, she was offered a reporting position with the Los Angeles Herald-Express, Hearst's evening daily. She didn't actually accept the job until the following year when she said she finally felt ready to "work in the big leagues.n11 At this time Hearst owned two of the four Los Angeles dailies, the Herald-Express and the morning Examiner.