When Science News was founded in 1921, journalism was still a men’s domain, with women relegated largely to writing for the society pages. But women in the United States had just gained the right to vote, and more women in journalism were saying “no thank you” to the society beat, choosing instead to report on big issues of national importance.
Ruth Finney came to Washington, D.C., from California in 1923 as a correspondent for the Scripps-Howard newspaper chain. She covered national politics throughout her career. Bess Furman came to Washington from Nebraska in 1929 to cover the wives of elected officials for the Associated Press, notably Eleanor Roosevelt, who held regular press conferences.