By Joel Hrubesch, CJ 370

Ann Devroy was not just an outspoken advocate for feminism – she embodied it. She was a journalist and among her peers, considered to be one of the best. She achieved respect by doggedly maintaining the ethical standards of her profession.

The standards she used included things like providing information in an accurate and unbiased manner, treating others as human beings that deserve respect and supporting the open exchange of different views. As her widower Mark Matthews said, “what she did was to get up, go to work and try to do the absolute best she could do, and to live up to her standards.”

In 1997 at the age of 49, Devroy succumbed to cancer after an 18-month battle with the illness. In 1998, those who admired and loved her created the Devroy Fund at the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire, which is used to support both the annual Ann Devroy Memorial Forum and the Ann Devroy Fellowship.

Devroy graduated with a journalism degree from UW-Eau Claire in 1970. One of the figures involved in making the Fund possible was Milton Coleman, deputy managing editor of the Washington Post.

“We wanted to do something education related,” he said, “and decided that the best way to ensure the ‘Ann-ness’ of it was to house it at UW-Eau Claire.”

The Ann Devroy Memorial Forum provides a speaker each year that David Gordon, former chair of the UW-EC communication and journalism department, said “provides an opportunity to understand better what’s happening in Washington and [usually] in some phase of national affairs, as well as providing some inside looks at the journalism field.”

The Devroy Fellowship winner who is formally announced at the event is awarded an internship at a Wisconsin daily newspaper, and as Gordon said, “gets an incomparable opportunity to experience the newsroom culture at The Washington Post in a three-week residency there … not to mention the opportunity to observe up close some major U.S. political events.”

Last year’s winner, Janie Boschma, was able to do just that. During her internship at The Washington Post she experienced firsthand the presidential inauguration.

“It was impossible to describe,” she said. “It felt like a dream for me, to spend so much time doing and learning about what I love.”

Like other Devroy fellows, Boschma found the entire experience to be invaluable. Gina Duwe, the 2004 Devroy fellow, couldn’t agree more. Currently Duwe is a reporter and copy editor for the Janesville Gazette in Wisconsin, and she said that without this opportunity she wouldn’t be where she is today.

By spending time in Washington with Devroy’s former colleagues, the Devroy fellows have many stories relayed to them about the woman for whom the fellowship is named after.

“Devroy serves as a wonderful role model for women in journalism. Period. What I learned about her … provided me with such inspiration as I started my career,” said Duwe. “It’s great to see such an amazing journalist graduate from UW-Eau Claire rise to the top.”

Nicholas Halter, the 2007 Devroy fellow and a reporter for the Wausau Daily Herald in Wisconsin, expressed those same thoughts.

“Devroy is a great example for women at UW-Eau Claire. This was a woman that never backed down from powerful politicians and authorities and had the respect of all her colleagues,” he said. “Her life’s work speaks volumes about the endless possibilities for a female UW-Eau Claire graduate.”

Devroy, born on Oct. 9, 1948, in Green Bay, was employed as a reporter for the Leader Telegram in Eau Claire while attending UW-EC, where she also worked for the Spectator.

After graduating, she moved to Bridgewater, N.J., to work for the Gannett newspaper, The Courier News. Later she was promoted by Gannett News Services to its Washington bureau to report on the affairs of Congress, and within two years she began covering the White House. In 1985 she was hired by The Washington Post to perform those same duties. She was brought on board there so that, as Washington Post editor Bob Kaiser said, “I didn’t have to compete against her anymore.”

What allowed Devroy to reach this level of success was not only her reputation for being an outstanding journalist, but was also due in part to the values that had been instilled in her while growing up in the Midwest. Former colleague at The Washington Post, David Hoffman believed this was true.

“I think it had an impact on her in the sense that she had very uncomplicated and strong values,” he said, “She valued friends, honesty, consistency. She hated people who were artificial.”

Matthews, a contract editor for the non-profit magazine Prism and former reporter for the Baltimore Sun, said her early work experiences and education at UW-EC were important to her. He noted that she would speak particularly about certain instructors at the university that made a deep impression on her.

“She left UW-EC feeling that she was provided with not only a specific degree in journalism, but with a pretty broad education as well, which was beneficial for her future,” he said.

Furthermore, he said that throughout this period of her life she read extensively about public affairs and she left Eau Claire with a strong interest in national affairs.

However, she always worked extremely hard and was a very ambitious person – especially when it came to the interests she was most passionate about. The aspects of her life that she was intensely dedicated to were her family and writing about politics. Matthews married Devroy in 1977, and in 1985 she gave birth to their daughter, Sarah.

He said that although she was an extremely driven individual when it came to her occupation, she was still able to maintain a healthy balance between work and family. This was possible because he said, she was very good at setting priorities. Former colleague, Kaiser said that at some point after having Sarah, she made it a priority to leave the office by 6:45 p.m. every night and she did it. Also Matthews said that she ensured that the responsibilities of raising their daughter were equally shared by both of them. Those characteristics that made her such a devoted mother were also those that made her such an exceptional journalist.

“She felt that if she did the right thing and worked as well as she could at work and at home, that with her smarts and ability to learn … she would be able to succeed in whatever she was doing,” Matthews said. “She didn’t have too much self-doubt and she rarely second guessed herself. She was certain in her judgment … and she rarely regretted anything.”

These characteristics and the environment she grew up in were all influential in her reaching a high level of success in her life.

“Ann came out of nowhere and became the best in the business,” said Coleman. “With her determination, her sense of journalism and ethics, and her smarts, she proved that the best come in all colors, sizes, genders and from all places.”

Without question, at the time Devroy embarked upon her career during the ’70s the field of journalism was not unlike other work environments – it was male-dominated. Matthews agreed with this reality, but didn’t believe it hindered her. He said that she approached her career like she did with everything else.

“She came into it with her eyes open and was able to figure out very early on what she needed to do,” he said. “She wasn’t bashful and was very confident in her abilities to overcome any barriers.”

Kaiser agreed.

“The idea that anyone could push her around is just laughable,” he said. “She just exalted this strength and confidence that made that possible.”

There are many stories that illustrate this thought. One is that told by a former White House press secretary to President Clinton, Mike McCurry. He said on one occasion Devroy was accosted by a security guard as she was approaching guests leaving the White House to interview them. The process of interviewing guests is an accepted custom, however, the guard apparently was unaware of this and attempted to prevent her from doing so. The result was likely inevitable, Devroy got in the Secret Serviceman’s face and began yelling at him about her rights under the First Amendment.

Throughout her career as a reporter Devroy interviewed many influential public officials in Washington D.C., including several presidents. She seemed to be as comfortable talking to them as she was with anyone else she came in contact with. An interview with President Reagan highlights her ease around powerful individuals, her penchant for humor and her relentless pursuit to get at the truth of a story.

It took place in 1984, a time in which there were questions about Reagan’s health. Although he seemed to balk at answering Devroy’s questions directly, she persistently continued to question him about his health and whether he would make public his regular physical and mental tests. This is some excerpts from that exchange:

Devroy: When you were campaigning in 1980 ... you pledged to take regular physical and mental tests and release them to the public while you were in office.
Reagan: (Laughter)
Devroy: Now, whatever happened to those?
I haven’t seen one.
Reagan: Well, no, I said if ever …
Devroy: … Some of the Democratic candidates are starting to release reports from their
physicans. Do you think your age will become an issue? It didn’t in ’80.
Reagan: I can’t believe it will. If it does, I’ll
challenge him to an arm wrestle.
Devroy: Thank you very much.
Reagan: On your way out, let me just show you something.
Devroy: Do you want to arm wrestle?

“She made more than one president squirm and viewed her job as to make officials – especially self-important ones – squirm,” said Andrea Mitchell, the 2004 Devroy Forum speaker and the chief foreign affairs correspondent for NBC. “She was relentless and funny and fair and tough-minded and more than occasionally profane.”

However, the 1998 speaker and Washington Post national political correspondent and columnist, David Broder said she showed respect for those people and institutions that she wrote about, adding that she never took a cheap shot in any of her stories and informing the public was always her number one priority.
She always remained unbiased. In fact even her colleagues never knew what political affiliations she had, if she had any at all. Mitchell described her as nonpartisan in her determination to ‘ferret out’ the uncomfortable truth.

Although she always maintained the high standards of a journalist in being honest, fair and unbiased, she did not avoid covering controversial topics such as women’s rights issues.

In 1990 she covered a story about President Bush’s vetoing of a civil rights bill. In it she wrote, “President Bush … vetoed the Civil Rights Act of 1990, prompting the sharpest criticism he has endured from women, unions, blacks and other minorities since taking office.”

Also in 1983 she interviewed Reagan about women’s issues asking him if he thought he was misunderstood about his position on it.

However, the same as she did with every story she wrote, she provided a balanced report. She never interjected her personal thoughts or beliefs – that was not her responsibility. Her responsibility was to get at the truth of the story.

“She was extremely determined to get the story exactly right and … she was never satisfied until she did exhaustive research and in turn left no stone unturned,” Matthews said.

Yet some colleagues like Gwen Ifill, the 2001 Devroy Forum speaker and NewsHour correspondent and WETA’s Washington Week in Review, recognized another side of Devroy that revealed she wasn’t completely neutral on the topic of diversity rights. When Devroy was a political editor at The Washington Post, she was looking to find someone to fill an open position on the national staff and hired Ifill--a young, black female.

Ifill said Devroy worked with a great team of journalists.

“Men who had covered Watergate, men who had covered political campaigns since the 1960’s, men who covered the White House and the people in it,” Ifill said, “men every last one of them. Ann wanted a woman.”

However, Ifill noted, Devroy had no difficulties working in a male-dominated newsroom.

“Ann could outplay the boys any day of the week,” she said, “but her best friends were women who like her figured out the game and played it well, excelling no matter the odds.”

It is stories like this that help define why Devroy had a major impact on the world of journalism, the university from which she graduated and as well as upon feminism.

Emily Wievel, majoring in women’s studies at UW-EC, said she is aware of the legacy Devroy has left for the journalism department. She said that Devroy represents what a hard working, professional, intelligent woman can achieve.

Devroy is a part of history because of the manner in which she conducted her life day in and day out as a reporter, colleague, mother and wife. She lived a life based upon high ethical standards, principles and values as a journalist, which in turn also personifies the spirit of feminism.

---