Robinson, Grace, 1894-1985.

Grace Robinson was a nationally known woman journalist in the New York City area. Robinson was born in Omaha, Nebraska on June 10, 1894. She started her journalism career in 1917 as Telegraph Editor of the "Omaha Bee". She relocated to the New York City area in 1918 and worked short stints with the "Newark (New Jersey) Ledger" (1918-1920), the "New York Evening Mail" (1920-1922), and the "New York American Pictorial" (1922). Robinson became a staff writer for the "New York Daily News" in 1922 and enjoyed an illustrious career with this newspaper. She was a well-known crime writer by the mid-1920s, covering the Hall-Mills Murder Trial in 1926 and the Snyder-Gray Murder Trial a year later. Her career with the "New York Daily News" was briefly interrupted by a stint at "Liberty Magazine" (1928-1931). In 1928, she took a cross country automobile trip with her younger sister Ester Robinson and wrote about their experiences in the article series "Gasoline Gypsies". She also covered the 1930 pilgrimage of World War I Gold Star Mothers and Widows to France. When Robinson returned to the "New York Daily News", she visited the Soviet Union and Germany as a foreign correspondent in 1932. Continuing her work as a crime writer, Robinson extensively covered the Charles Lindbergh Jr. Murder Case in 1935-1936. During the 1930s and 1940s, she covered both President Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. In 1946, she served as a war correspondent in Germany. Robinson reached the pinnacle of her career in 1956 by writing "Will Your Boy Go Bad?", an article series about the Glueck Social Prediction Table to predict juvenile delinquency in boys, which was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. Robinson retired from the "New York Daily News" in 1964, but continued to write on a freelance basis. Grace Robinson was married to Robert Conway, a fellow reporter at the "New York Daily News". She passed away on December 3, 1985.

From the description of Grace Robinson papers, 1892-1991. (University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center). WorldCat record id: 65193897

Grace Beatrice Robinson, nationally known woman journalist, was born 10 June 1894 in Omaha, Nebraska. She was the daughter of Francis and Nella Mae (Hoisington) Robinson. She attended the University of Nebraska from 1914-1917, but dropped out to support her family after the death of her father.

In 1917, Robinson took her first newspaper job as Telegraph Editor of the Omaha Bee . Although it was illegal for women to work at night in Nebraska at the time, she was granted special dispensation to do so on account of World War I, thus allowing her to gain her formative journalistic training.

Robinson relocated to the New York City area in 1918 and became City Editor of the Newark (New Jersey) Ledger . While working at this paper, she became interested in becoming a newspaper reporter. In 1920, she became Magazine Editor of the Woman’s Page at the New York Evening Mail . This position was followed by a brief stint at the New York American Pictorial in early 1922.

Robinson became a staff writer at the Patterson-McCormick Syndicate’s New York Daily News in 1922 and enjoyed an illustrious career with this paper. She started out as a Society writer under the pen name “Debutante.” By the mid-1920s, Robinson was a well-known crime writer, covering the infamous Hall-Mills Murder Trial in 1926 and the Snyder-Gray Murder Trial a year later.

Between 1928-1931, Robinson’s career at the New York Daily News was interrupted by a stint at Liberty magazine, which was also owned by Patterson-McCormick. At Liberty, she wrote stories on a variety of subjects. In 1928, she wrote the article series “Gasoline Gypsies,” an account of a cross-country automobile trip she took with her sister Ester Robinson. She received her first foreign correspondent assignment in 1930, when she accompanied the Gold Star Mothers and Widows (mothers and widows of American soldiers killed in World War I) on their pilgrimage to cemeteries in France.

When Liberty was sold to Bernarr MacFadden in 1931, Robinson was transferred back to the New York Daily News . She received her second foreign correspondent assignment in 1932, in which she followed and interviewed Greta Garbo and visited the Soviet Union and Germany. On her return trip, she followed disgraced New York City Mayor Jimmy Walker back to the United States. Starting in 1933, Robinson covered both President Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt and was a member of Mrs. Roosevelt’s “hen press.” She also played an instrumental role in the construction of the White House swimming pool during the Roosevelt Administration. Robinson continued to be a highly regarded crime writer, covering many of the notorious criminal cases of the 1930s. In 1935-1936, she extensively covered the Charles Lindbergh Jr. Murder Case, including the trial, appeal, and subsequent execution of accused murderer Bruno Hauptmann.

During the 1940s, Robinson interviewed a number of celebrities in the New York Daily News ’ News One and Three Studio, including Bob Hope and Gregory Peck. She was a member of the press corps that covered the funeral of President Franklin Roosevelt in 1945. In 1946, Robinson was a war correspondent in Germany, reporting on the post-World War II conditions of that country. She also covered the first Alger Hiss Espionage Trial in 1949, which proved to be her last crime trial.

Robinson reached the pinnacle of her career in 1956 by writing “Will Your Boy Go Bad?”, an article series about the Glueck Social Prediction Table, which was designed to predict juvenile delinquency in boys. This series was widely acclaimed and it earned her a nomination for a Pulitzer Prize. Robinson retired from the New York Daily News in 1964, but continued to write on a freelance basis.

Grace Robinson was married to Robert Conway, a fellow reporter at the New York Daily News . In addition to her journalistic duties, Robinson was an active member of the Newspaper Guild of New York and the Overseas Press Club of America. She was also involved in the civic and environmental affairs of Weston, Connecticut, her adopted hometown.

Grace Robinson passed away on December 3, 1985.

From the guide to the Grace Robinson papers, 1892-1991, (University of Wyoming. American Heritage Center.)