Powerhouse Publisher (Katharine Graham)

Katharine Graham ran The Washington Post through Watergate and the Pentagon Papers, two of the biggest showdowns ever between the American press and the federal government. There's a case to be made that she was the most powerful woman of the 20th century. Katharine Graham inherited The Washington Post only because her husband, Phil Graham, died by suicide in 1963. She had no experience running a newsroom or a company, and by her own account it never occurred to her to do anything but try. Michael Osborne and Sarah Murphy trace how a socialite mother of four became what her own obituary called "the effective steward of a multi-million dollar communications empire" — her partnership with editor Ben Bradlee, her friendship with Warren Buffett, and the sheer size of what Katharine Graham ended up running. Graham's memoir, Personal History, won the Pulitzer Prize a few years before she died. Famous & Gravy is a celebrity biography podcast that asks, "What does this celebrity's life story show us about ourselves?" If you enjoyed this episode, you might also enjoy Episode 122 "Southern Expat" (Harper Lee) and Episode 47 "Proud Mary" (Mary Tyler Moore). Famous & Gravy is created and hosted by Michael Osborne. This episode features guest co-host Sarah Murphy. LINKS: New York Times obituary for Katharine Graham The Post trailer, with Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks, directed by Steven Spielberg Becoming Katharine Graham, PBS documentary trailer Personal History by Katharine Graham Life Lessons from Dead Celebrities on Substack (free), the Famous & Gravy Newsletter Dead or Alive quiz game Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads Famous & Gravy official website Email us for the opening quiz! [email protected] See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.