Helen Thomas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Helen Thomas
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Thomas in 2000
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Helen Amelia Thomas
August 4, 1920 Winchester, Kentucky, U.S.
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| Died | July 20, 2013 (aged 92) Washington, D.C., U.S.
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| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Wayne State University (B.A., 1942) |
| Occupation | Author, journalist, columnist |
| Years active | 1943–2013 |
| Known for | Pioneering female reporter; first female member of the White House press corps |
| Spouse(s) | Douglas B. Cornell (1971–1982; his death) |
| Parent(s) |
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| Relatives | 8 siblings |
Helen Amelia Thomas (August 4, 1920 – July 20, 2013) was a famous American reporter and author. She was a long-time member of the White House press corps. This means she reported on the U.S. President and their team.
She covered the White House for ten different U.S. presidents. Her career started with President John F. Kennedy and ended during President Barack Obama's time.
Thomas worked for United Press International (UPI) for 57 years. She started as a correspondent and later became the White House bureau manager. After UPI, she wrote columns for Hearst Newspapers from 2000 to 2010. She wrote about national news and the White House.
Helen Thomas broke many barriers for women in journalism. She was the first female officer of the National Press Club. She was also the first female member and president of the White House Correspondents' Association. Plus, she was the first woman to join the Gridiron Club. She wrote six books, including Listen Up, Mr. President (2009).
She retired from Hearst Newspapers on June 7, 2010. This happened after some controversial comments she made. She then wrote for the Falls Church News-Press until February 2012.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Helen Thomas was born in Winchester, Kentucky. She was the seventh of nine children. Her parents, George and Mary Thomas, were immigrants from Tripoli, Lebanon. Her father's original last name, "Antonious," was changed to "Thomas" when he arrived in the U.S. at Ellis Island. Her parents could not read or write.
Helen grew up mostly in Detroit, Michigan. Her family moved there when she was four years old. Her father owned a grocery store. She remembered being called names at school because her family was from another country. She was a member of the Antiochian Orthodox Church.
Thomas went to Detroit Public Schools. She decided to become a journalist while attending Eastern High School. She studied at Wayne State University in Detroit. She earned a bachelor's degree in English in 1942. The school did not offer a journalism degree at that time.
Starting Her Journalism Career
After college, Thomas moved to Washington, D.C.. Her first job in journalism was as a copygirl for the Washington Daily News. She worked there for eight months. She was fired after joining her colleagues in a strike.
Thomas then joined United Press in 1943. She reported on topics important to women for their radio service. Her first assignments focused on social issues, women's news, and celebrity stories. Later, she wrote a column called Names in the News. For this column, she interviewed many famous people in Washington. In 1955, she started covering the United States Department of Justice. She also covered other government agencies and Capitol Hill.
Thomas was president of the Women's National Press Club from 1959 to 1960. In 1959, she and other female journalists pushed the National Press Club to allow women to attend a speech by Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. Before this, women were not allowed.
Reporting on Presidents
In November 1960, Thomas began covering then President-elect John F. Kennedy. She decided to switch from reporting on "women's angles" to covering daily news. She became a White House correspondent for UPI in January 1961. People called her the "Sitting Buddha" and the "First Lady of the Press."
During Kennedy's time, she started ending presidential press conferences with "Thank you, Mr. President." This was a tradition that had been started by UPI's Albert Merriman Smith.
In 2008, The Christian Science Monitor described Thomas as "outspoken, blunt, demanding, forceful and unrelenting." Her reputation was known worldwide. Cuban leader Fidel Castro once said he didn't have to answer questions from Helen Thomas. Thomas saw this as a great compliment.
In 1962, Thomas convinced President Kennedy not to attend annual dinners for White House reporters if women were excluded. President Kennedy agreed to combine the dinners so women could attend. In 1970, UPI made Thomas their chief White House correspondent. This made her the first woman in that role. She became the chief of UPI's White House bureau in 1974.
Thomas was the only female print journalist to travel with President Richard Nixon during his 1972 visit to China. During the Watergate scandal, Martha Mitchell, wife of Attorney General John N. Mitchell, often called Thomas. She would talk about how the Nixon administration was blaming her husband.
Thomas traveled around the world many times. She went with every U.S. president from Richard Nixon to Barack Obama. She covered every Economic Summit since 1975. She became UPI's White House Bureau Chief, a job she held for over 25 years. While in this role, she wrote a column called "Backstairs at the White House." It gave an inside look at different presidential administrations.
In 1975, the Washington Press Corps club, the Gridiron Club, allowed Thomas to join. She was the first woman member. From 1975 to 1976, she was the first female president of the White House Correspondents Association.
Helen Thomas was the only White House Press Corps member with her own seat in the White House Briefing Room. All other seats were assigned to news organizations.
In 1979, a trading card set called Supersisters was made. One of the cards featured Helen Thomas.
Leaving UPI and New Role
On May 17, 2000, UPI was bought by News World Communications Inc. This company was founded by Reverend Sun Myung Moon. Thomas resigned from UPI after 57 years. She later said the change in ownership was "a bridge too far." Less than two months later, she joined Hearst Newspapers. She became an opinion columnist, writing about national affairs and the White House.
After leaving her reporting job at UPI, Thomas began to share her personal views more often. She once joked that she had censored herself for 50 years as a reporter. Now, she could ask herself, "Who do I hate today?"
During the George W. Bush Years
During President George W. Bush's first term, Thomas often challenged the White House press secretary. She asked tough questions about government policies. For example, she questioned statements about arms shipments.
In January 2003, Thomas made a comment about President Bush at an event. She called him "the worst president in American history." This comment was published, and she was not called on during a press conference for the first time in over 40 years. She later wrote to the President to apologize.
For many years, Thomas sat in the front row and asked the first question at White House press conferences. However, this changed during the Bush administration. She was moved to the back row. She said it was because "They didn't like me. . . . I ask too many mean questions."
On March 21, 2006, President Bush called on Thomas directly for the first time in three years. She asked him why the U.S. had invaded Iraq. Bush explained it was because Saddam Hussein did not allow inspectors and hid information.
In July 2006, she made a comment about Dick Cheney possibly running for president. She said, "All we need is another liar . . . I think he'd like to run, but it would be a sad day for the country if he does."
At a press briefing on July 18, 2006, Thomas said the U.S. could have stopped the bombing of Lebanon. She said the U.S. had control with the Israelis. Press Secretary Tony Snow responded by saying, "Thank you for the Hezbollah view."
In November 2007, Thomas questioned Press Secretary Dana Perino. She asked why Americans should trust General David Petraeus to decide when to remove troops from Iraq. Thomas also asked how many innocent Iraqis had been killed.
During the Obama Administration
On February 9, 2009, Thomas was in the front row for President Obama's first news conference. Obama called on her, saying, "Helen. I'm excited, this is my inaugural moment." Thomas asked if he knew of any Middle Eastern country with nuclear weapons. Obama replied that he did not want to "speculate."
On July 1, 2009, Thomas commented on the Obama administration's handling of the press. She felt they had too much control.
On August 4, 2009, Thomas celebrated her 89th birthday. President Obama, whose birthday is on the same day, gave her cupcakes. He sang Happy Birthday to her before that day's press conference.
Controversial Comments and Resignation
On May 27, 2010, Helen Thomas made some controversial comments about Israel. These remarks caused a lot of discussion. She later posted an apology on her website. She said she deeply regretted her comments. She stated that peace in the Middle East needs mutual respect and tolerance.
Following the controversy, her agency, Nine Speakers, Inc., stopped representing her. Her co-author, Craig Crawford, also said he would no longer work with her. A scheduled speech at Walt Whitman High School was canceled. The White House Correspondents' Association called her remarks "indefensible."
On June 7, Thomas resigned from Hearst Newspapers. The next day, President Obama called her remarks "offensive" and "out of line." He said her retirement was "the right decision." He also said it was a "shame" her career ended in such controversy. However, he recognized her long service covering U.S. presidents, calling her "a real institution in Washington."
Some people defended Thomas. They felt she was being attacked too harshly. Ralph Nader said there was a "double standard." He felt one "ill-conceived remark" ended her career. Meanwhile, others who made strong comments kept their jobs.
In October 2010, Thomas said she knew she would be fired after her comments. She felt she had "hit the third rail" because "You cannot criticize Israel in this country and survive." She added that she apologized because people were upset. But she still felt the same way about "Israel's aggression and brutality."
Later Years
2010 Speech and Further Comments
On December 2, 2010, Helen Thomas spoke at a conference in Dearborn, Michigan. She told reporters she still stood by her earlier comments. She said, "I paid a price, but it's worth it to speak the truth." During her speech, Thomas said that Congress, the White House, Hollywood, and Wall Street were "owned by Zionists."
The Anti-Defamation League called for journalism schools to take back any honors given to Thomas. Wayne State University stopped giving the Helen Thomas Spirit of Diversity in Media Award. They cited her comments. Thomas disagreed, saying the university had "disgraced their understanding of its inherent freedom of speech and the press."
Later Work
Thomas worked as a columnist for the Virginia Falls Church News-Press from January 2011 to January 2012. She wrote a few columns for the free weekly paper. The owner-editor, Nicholas Benton, defended hiring her. He said Thomas was "expressing a political point of view, and not a bigoted racial sentiment."
Personal Life
Helen Thomas described herself as a liberal. For most of her life, her work was her main focus. At age 51, she married Douglas Cornell, a White House reporter for the Associated Press. Four years later, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. She cared for him until he died in 1982.
Death
Helen Thomas passed away on July 20, 2013. She was at her home in Washington, D.C., and was 92 years old.
Legacy and Impact
Many female journalists remembered Helen Thomas as a "trailblazer." Judy Woodruff called her a pioneer. Andrea Mitchell said Thomas "made it possible for all of us who followed."
Dana Perino, who was press secretary for President George W. Bush, recalled Thomas giving her words of encouragement on her first day. President Obama said Thomas was "a true pioneer" who "never failed to keep presidents—myself included—on their toes." Thomas was cremated, and her ashes were buried in Detroit. She had a traditional Antiochian Orthodox funeral service.
In 2006, Thomas encouraged young Arab-Americans to become journalists. She wanted to see more Arab names in news stories. She told newcomers, "Get into the game!"
Awards and Honors
Helen Thomas received many awards and more than 30 honorary degrees. In 1976, she was named one of the World Almanac's 25 Most Influential Women in America. She received the Columbia University Journalism Award in 1985. In 1984, she was honored with the National Press Club Fourth Estate Award. In 2000, she received the Kiplinger Distinguished Contributions to Journalism Award.
In 1986, she received the William Allen White Foundation Award for Journalistic Merit. In 1993, Thomas won the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism. The White House Correspondent's Association created the "Helen Thomas Lifetime Achievement Award" in her honor in 1998. In 2000, her alma mater, Wayne State University, started the "Helen Thomas Spirit of Diversity award." However, this award was discontinued in December 2010 due to her controversial remarks.
In October 2010, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) gave Thomas a lifetime achievement award. In April 2012, she received an award from the Palestine Liberation Organization's General Mission to the United States. This award recognized her long career in journalism and her defense of the Palestinian position.
The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) used to have an annual award named after Thomas. But they decided to retire the award in 2011. This decision was made after her comments in late 2010 about the alleged control of the United States by Zionists.
Images for kids
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Thomas in 2000
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Thomas with President Lyndon B. Johnson in the Oval Office, June 21, 1966.
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Thomas with President Ford and chief of staff Dick Cheney (left) in 1976
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Thomas in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room half an hour before morning gaggle, 2007
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President Barack Obama presenting Thomas cupcakes on her 89th birthday
See also
- Women in journalism and media professions
