Martha Coman

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Martha Coman
A white woman wearing a brimmed hat with a high crown, and glasses
Martha Coman, from a 1922 publication
Born1872
Wisconsin
DiedNovember 27, 1959
New York, New York, U.S.
Occupation(s)Journalist, publicist

Martha Day Coman (1872 – November 27, 1959) was an American journalist. She was one of the first women reporters at the New York Herald, and the first president of the Newswomen's Club of New York.

Early life and education[edit]

A group of nine white woman, most smiling and wearing hats; four seated in the front row, and five standing in the back row.
Members of the Newspaper Women's Club of New York in 1927: Front row, left-to-right: Helen Rowland, Emma Bugbee, Josephine Ober, and Martha Coman; back row, left-to-right: Charlotte McLevedge, Rose Therese Nagel, Marie L. Darrach, Madeline Riordan, and Olive Hurlbut.

Coman was born in Wisconsin, and raised in Portland, Oregon,[1] the daughter of Edmund B. Coman and Marian W. Sexton Coman. Her father was born in Ireland. She graduated from Stanford University.[2]

Career[edit]

Coman was one of the first women reporters at the New York Herald.[3][4] In 1916, she covered Charles Evans Hughes' presidential campaign.[5] She reported on fashion,[6] suffrage,[1] and women in careers,[7] but she also covered the World Series, and especially Babe Ruth, in 1921.[8] She was the first president of the Newspaper Women's Club of New York when it was founded in 1922.[9][10] She joined Theodora Bean's T-Bean Syndicate in 1925,[11] and was editor of the weekly Scarsdale Inquirer.[12][13] She became a publicist at Harper's Publishing in 1929.[14] She also worked as a publicist for Smith College.[15][16] She remained active in leadership with the Newspaper Women's Club of New York through the 1930s,[17] as its treasurer.[18][19]

Publications[edit]

  • "The Art of Camping: A Woman's View" (1902)[20]
  • "Flowers a Bride Should Carry" (1902)[21]
  • "Swimming Girls Making Big Splash in the World of Sports" (1922)[22]
  • "Faith, Hope, and Parity for the Seven Colleges" (1930)[23]

Personal life and legacy[edit]

Coman died in 1959, in her eighties, in New York City.[24] The Newswomen's Club of New York gives the annual Martha Coman Front Page Award for Best New Journalist as part of its Front Page Awards.[25][26]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Heads New Women's Club; Miss Coman, Well Known Writer on Women's Politics". Editor and Publisher. 54 (45): 24. April 8, 1922 – via Internet Archive.
  2. ^ "Veteran Woman News Reporter Dies". Oakland Tribune. 1959-11-29. p. 13. Retrieved 2024-05-16 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "A Woman President?". The Box Elder Valley Press. 1920-11-12. p. 2. Retrieved 2024-05-16 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Coman, Martha (1921-02-07). "Aspirants Face Disappointment; Moving Picture Success Not for Every Girl". The Hamilton Spectator. p. 14. Retrieved 2024-05-16 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Hughes Women Say Victory is Sure". Omaha Daily Bee. 1916-10-27. p. 11. Retrieved 2024-05-16 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Coman, Martha (1921-11-27). "Short Skirts, Aid to Health, May Defy Fashion". The San Francisco Journal and Daily Journal of Commerce. p. 36. Retrieved 2024-05-16 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Coman, Martha (1923-04-29). "Business Girls Success Talks". Modesto Morning Herald. p. 18. Retrieved 2024-05-16 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ Wehrle, Edmund F. (2018-05-31). Breaking Babe Ruth: Baseball's Campaign Against Its Biggest Star. University of Missouri Press. ISBN 978-0-8262-7409-0.
  9. ^ "Newspaper Women Club Installs First Officers". New-York Tribune. 1922-04-10. p. 11. Retrieved 2024-05-16 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ Women's press organizations, 1881-1999. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press. 2000. ISBN 978-0-313-30661-7.
  11. ^ "The Syndicate Man". Fourth Estate. 32: 23. May 23, 1925.
  12. ^ "Women in Advertising and Journalism" Editor & Publisher 59(October 9, 1926): 50.
  13. ^ Who's who in Journalism. 1925. p. 320.
  14. ^ Brief news item, Matrix 14(4)(April 1929): 17.
  15. ^ "Martha Coman: Director of Publicity". Smith Alumnae Quarterly: 43. November 1929 – via Internet Archive.
  16. ^ Walker, Stanley (1999). City Editor. JHU Press. p. 261. ISBN 978-0-8018-6292-2.
  17. ^ "N. Y. Newspaper Women to Hold Annual Ball at Ritz-Carlton March 11" Editor and Publisher 59(38)(February 12, 1927): 10. via Internet Archive
  18. ^ "Helen Worden Heads Newspaper Women". The San Francisco Examiner. 1932-05-24. p. 6. Retrieved 2024-05-16 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ "Heads Newspaper Women; Miss McLaughlin is Elected President of Club". The New York Times. May 18, 1939. p. 27. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-05-16.
  20. ^ Coman, Martha (June 7, 1902). "The Art of Camping: A Woman's View". The Outlook. 71 (6): 370–376 – via Internet Archive.
  21. ^ Coman, Martha (July 24, 1902). "Flowers a Bride Should Carry". Leslie's Weekly. 95 (2446): 86 – via Internet Archive.
  22. ^ Coman, Martha (April 29, 1922). "Swimming Girls Making Big Splash in World of Sports". Newark Advocate. p. 4 – via Internet Archive.
  23. ^ Coman, Martha (February 1930). "Faith, Hope, and Parity for the Seven Colleges". Smith Alumnae Quarterly: 146–150 – via Internet Archive.
  24. ^ "Martha Coman, Ex-Reporter, Dies" The New York Times (November 29, 1959): 86.
  25. ^ "2023 Front Page Winners". The Newswomen's Club of New York. Retrieved 2024-05-16.
  26. ^ Roush, Chris (2012-10-04). "Bloomberg reporter wins best new journalist award". Talking Biz News. Retrieved 2024-05-16.
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