Virginia Turner, 86; Pioneering Woman Newspaper Editor
Virginia Strom Turner, 86, pioneering woman city editor and the first to hold that position in the Scripps Howard newspaper chain, died Saturday in an automobile accident, authorities said.
Turner, who attended what was then Texas Western University, was city editor of the El Paso Herald-Post from 1959 to 1976. In that period, she was among only a few women to hold such an executive post on daily newspapers.
During her tenure, she directed the paper’s coverage of every major news story in the El Paso area. She was known for encouraging and nurturing young journalists.
After she stepped down as city editor, Turner spent the next 20 years writing award-winning columns for the Texas newspaper.
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