Katharine Meyer Graham was an American publisher who was known for leading The Washington Post for over twenty years. Katharine was the publisher of The Washington Post at the time of President Richard Nixon’s resignation because of the Watergate scandal. She published her own memoir entitled Personal History which earned her the 1998 Pulitzer Prize.
Katharine was born on June 16, 1917 in New York City. Her father, Eugene Meyer, acquired The Washington Post in 1933 when it was at the verge of bankruptcy. Her mother, Agnes Elizabeth, was a newspaper reporter. Graham was exposed to publications early in life because of her parents’ involvements.
While studying in the University of Chicago, Katharine became very interested in labor issues. She made friends with different kinds of people. When she was working for a local newspaper after her graduation, Katharine covered a major strike held by some wharf employees.
Katharine started to work for The Washington Post in 1938. Two years later, she married Philip Graham, who eventually became the publisher of The Washington Post in 1946. Meyer, however, remained as the chairman of the Washington Post Company until he died in 1959. Philip Graham held the position and led the company to expansions by acquiring a number of TV stations and Newsweek magazine.
During his marriage with Katharine, Philip battled alcoholism and mental illness. He was in attendance at a newspaper conference in Arizona in 1963 when he had a nervous breakdown. He was admitted to a psychiatric facility in Washington where he committed suicide using a 28-gauge shotgun.
At his husband’s death, Katharine assumed the position of chairman in her family’s newspaper. Katharine played such a significant role in such a crucial time in history as the Watergate scandal. The Washington Post helped unveil the conspiracy that led to President Nixon’s resignation. Katharine became the subject of one of the most popular threats in the history of journalism in America.
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