Liz Smith (journalist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Liz Smith
|
|
|---|---|
Smith in September 2011
|
|
| Born |
Mary Elizabeth Smith
February 2, 1923 Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.
|
| Died | November 12, 2017 (aged 94) New York City, U.S.
|
| Other names | The Grand Dame of Dish |
| Alma mater | University of Texas |
| Occupation | Journalist |
| Years active | 1950–2017 |
| Spouse(s) |
George Edward Beeman
(m. 1945; div. 1947)Fred Lister
(m. 1957; div. 1962) |
| Partner(s) | Iris Love |
Mary Elizabeth Smith (born February 2, 1923 – died November 12, 2017) was an American journalist. She was famous for writing about celebrities and was known as "The Grand Dame of Dish." This nickname meant she was a very important person in the world of celebrity news.
In the 1960s and early 1970s, she worked as an entertainment editor for magazines like Cosmopolitan and Sports Illustrated. From 1976 to 2009, she wrote her own celebrity news column. This column appeared in major newspapers such as the New York Newsday, the New York Daily News, and the New York Post. Her column was also published in many other newspapers across the country. Liz Smith also appeared on TV networks like Fox, E!, and WNBC.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Liz Smith was born on February 2, 1923, in Fort Worth, Texas. She went to the University of Texas. In 1949, she earned a degree in journalism. While in college, she worked for the student newspapers The Daily Texan and The Texas Ranger.
A Career in Journalism
After college, Smith moved to New York City. She started her career with different jobs in the media world. She worked as a typist and proofreader. She also became a news producer for Mike Wallace at CBS Radio. Later, she spent five years as a news producer for NBC-TV. She even worked for Allen Funt on the TV show Candid Camera.
In the late 1950s, Smith wrote for a celebrity news column called "Cholly Knickerbocker." She wrote these stories without her name on them. In the early 1960s, she became the entertainment editor for Cosmopolitan magazine. At the same time, she also worked as the entertainment editor for Sports Illustrated.
Her Famous Column and TV Work
On February 16, 1976, Liz Smith started her own celebrity news column. It was published in the New York Daily News. During a newspaper strike in 1978, her editors asked her to appear on WNBC-TV's Live at Five. She stayed with this TV show for eleven years.
Being on television made Smith a well-known person in New York City. Her TV appearances also gave her many ideas for her column. Her column was eventually published in almost seventy newspapers. In 1985, she won an Emmy award for her reporting on Live at Five.
Later, Fox Broadcasting Company leaders Barry Diller and Rupert Murdoch hired Smith. They wanted her to help create a new talk show. Roger Ailes was her producer for this project.
A Top Journalist
Liz Smith was once said to be the highest-paid print journalist in the United States. In 1991, she moved her column to New York Newsday. This happened after she had exclusive interviews with Ivana Trump. Smith stayed at New York Newsday until it closed in 1995. After that, her column appeared in both the Long Island Newsday and the New York Post at the same time.
She also worked for Fox News for seven years. Her last appearance there was on Fox & Friends. She was the only journalist to have her column printed in three major New York City newspapers at the same time.
In April 2005, Smith left Newsday after a disagreement about her work agreement. The issue was resolved, and she continued writing for the New York Post and the Staten Island Advance. On February 24, 2009, the Post announced they would stop running her column. This was done to save money.
Smith was also a founding member of wowOwow.com. This was a website where women could talk about culture, politics, and celebrity news. In 2016, she received an award from The New Jewish Home at their Eight Over Eighty Gala.
Personal Life
In 1945, Liz Smith married her college boyfriend, George Edward Beeman. He was a World War II bombardier. She left him soon after to go to the University of Texas. They divorced two years later. In 1957, she married Fred Lister, but they divorced in 1962.
Smith was a good friend of Texas Governor Ann Richards. She helped Governor Richards get used to life in New York City. Smith was also friends with writer Molly Ivins, who was also a friend of Richards.
Liz Smith helped raise millions of dollars for many charities. She raised $6 million for Literacy Partners. She also raised millions for organizations like AMFAR, the New York Landmarks Conservancy, PAL, and the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City.
Death
Liz Smith passed away on November 12, 2017. She died at her home in Manhattan, New York, at the age of 94. She died of natural causes.
