Connolly, Vera L., 1888-1964.

Vera Leona Connolly was a journalist and editor for many of America's popular magazines, particularly woman's journals such as "Good Housekeeping", "The Woman's Home Companion", and "Woman's Day", from the 1920s through the 1950s. Describing herself as a "crusading journalist--a stirrer-upper," Connolly wrote articles that publicized and criticized social problems in the United States, including juvenile delinquency, lax adoption regulations, ineffective narcotics law, sweatshops, and the poor living conditions on Indian reservations. She encouraged her readers get involved by writing to government officials and volunteering time, and some of her articles sparked investigations and court cases that lead to significant changes. Connolly also wrote extensively about marriage and family throughout her career, but supported the rights of unmarried women and unwed mothers as well.

Connolly was born in 1888 at a military post in Benicia, California. Her father, an Army captain, traveled widely throughout Europe and Southeast Asia and often brought his wife and two children, Vera and Donald, with him. For several years he was stationed on the Round Valley Reservation in California, and Connolly later said that the poverty and malnourishment she witnessed there led to her decision to help disadvantaged groups.

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