Sylvia Porter: America's Original Personal Finance Columnist

250 Pages·2013·2.54 MB·English

by  Tracy Lucht

S Y LV I A PORT ER
Generously supported by
The Director’s Circle
&
A gift in loving memory of Lucy Randel
Director’s Choice
Our Director’s Choice program is an opportunity to highlight a book
from our list that deserves special attention. This selection came natu-
rally to me, as a New York City native with a background in business,
and I proudly support its publication.
Alice Randel Pfeiffer
Director, Syracuse University Press
SYLVIA
AMERICA’S ORIGINAL PERSONAL FINANCE COLUMNIST
PORTER
TRACY LUCHT
Syracuse University Press
Copyright © 2013 by Syracuse University Press
Syracuse, New York 13244-5290
All Rights Reserved
First Edition 2013
13 14 15 16 17 18 6 5 4 3 2 1
Quotations from the following are reprinted with permission from the National Women
and Media Collection/Western Historical Manuscript Collection, State Historical Society
of Missouri: Sylvia Porter Papers; Russell Freeburg’s Nov. 23, 1974, letter to Sylvia Porter;
Donna Lee Goldberg’s Apr. 29, 1974, academic paper; Donna Martin’s Aug. 18, 1982, letter
to Hal Meyerson; and John McMeel’s Feb. 9, 1984, letter to Sylvia Porter. Quotations from
Dorothy Schiff’s memo and letters are reprinted with permission from Dorothy Schiff
Papers, Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox,
and Tilden Foundations.
∞ The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of the American
National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library
Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1992.
For a listing of books published and distributed by Syracuse University Press, visit our
website at SyracuseUniversityPress.syr.edu.
ISBN: 978-0-8156-1029-8 (cloth) 978-0-8156-5249-6 (e-book)
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Lucht, Tracy.
Sylvia Porter : America’s original personal f nance columnist / Tracy Lucht. — First
edition.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-8156-1029-8 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Porter, Sylvia Field, 1913– 2. Finance,
Personal. 3. Journalists—United States—Biography. I. Title.
HG179.L824 2013
070.4'493320240092—dc23
[B] 2013029837
Manufactured in the United States of America
For Paul
Tracy Lucht is assistant professor in the Greenlee School of Jour-
nalism and Communication at Iowa State University. She holds a
Ph.D. from the University of Maryland and has worked at USA
Today, the Washington Post, and the Des Moines Register.
Contents
List of Illustrations ix
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction 1
Wall Str1e.e t Crusader 17
Glamou2r. Girl of Finance 53
Expert w3.i th an Empire 84
Preside4nt.i al Adviser 119
Brand N5.a me 144
Conclusion 163
Abbreviations 169
Notes 171
Bibliography 203
Index 219