Women Editors

I was shocked that an article in The Times (June 12), “Journalism History Made,” didn’t include one of the most famous, and I believe the first woman city editor of a major metropolitan newspaper, Agness Underwood.

This lady, who was a legend in her own time, became city editor of the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner in 1947 where she had more than 40 reporters and 22 photographers working for her.

In 1964 she was promoted to assistant managing editor and she retired in 1968. Her retirement dinner was held at the Hollywood Palladium with 1,500 people attending. In case the reporter who wrote the story didn’t know, she was a Los Angeles Times “Woman of the Year” in 1960.

As a young press agent I had heard all kinds of stories about Aggie, and I was sure I was about to meet a fire-breathing dragon when I made my first trip to the Herald-Examiner. Instead Aggie was a pussycat who was always willing to help anyone who admitted they didn’t know the ropes.

SHIRLEY CARROLL

O’CONNOR

Laguna Hills