Meg Greenfield

Born this day in 1930: Mary Ellen (Meg) Greenfield (1930–1999), influential, Pulitzer Prize winning editorial-page editor of the Washington Post

Known for her disciplined intellect, wry writing style, and informed insight, Meg Greenfield was considered by many to one of the most influential women in Washington during the 1980s and 199os.

Greenfield began working at the Washington Post as an editorial writer in 1968. The following year she was named deputy editor of the editorial page. She was admired for her rigorous ethics and for demanding high standards from her editorial staff. In 1974 she also began writing a weekly column for Newsweek magazine. In 1978 she won a Pulitzer Prize for her editorial writing. The following year she became the Post’s editorial-page editor, a position she held until her death in 1999. Her memoirs were published posthumously in 2001.

Greenfield held a B.A. from Smith College (1952), was a Fulbright scholar (1953), and was the recipient of several honorary degrees.

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