Ruth A. Paepcke; Edited Magazine Sent to Soviet Union

Ruth Adams Paepcke, 79, former editor in chief of America Illustrated magazine. Printed in Russian, the magazine was published by the U.S. Information Agency and distributed in the Soviet Union during the Cold War. The monthly magazine featured pictures and stories about American life, and was distributed in exchange for the Soviets’ publication Soviet Life, sent to U.S. homes. During Paepcke’s tenure in the early 1960s, the magazine focused on cultural topics and the civil rights movement. Paepcke’s work earned her two major government awards, a Federal Women’s Award for distinguished contributions by women in government and the USIA’s Superior Service Award praising her “outstanding editorial creativity, judgment and staff leadership.” On July 9 in Washington, D.C., of cardiac arrest.