Dorothy Fuldheim

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Dorothy Fuldheim (June 26, 1893 - November 3, 1989) (born Dorothy Violet Snell) is considered one of the pioneer women of US television news. She is credited with being the first woman in the United States to anchor a television news broadcast as well to host her own television show. Sometimes Ms. Fuldheim is referred to by biographers and persons in the broadcast industry as the "First Lady Of Television News"

Fuldheim, an American of Jewish descent, was born in Passaic, New Jersey. She spent her childhood in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Prior to working in broadcasting, she was an elementary schoolteacher. During the 1920s, after her first marriage, Ms. Fuldheim moved to Cleveland, Ohio where she began her theatrical, lecturing and broadcasting careers. She started in radio hosting a biography program for the ABC Radio network. Ms. Fuldheim was their first female commentator. Prior to World War II, she had interviewed both Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler.

[edit] Television career

Ms. Fuldheim began her television career at age 54 when joined the staff of WEWS-TV Channel 5 in Cleveland in 1947. At that time, it was the only television station between New York and Chicago. Despite spending her entire broadcasting career based in Cleveland, she traveled widely to cover a variety of news stories, and was regarded as a broadcaster of national importance.

In 1959, Ms. Fuldheim, who had been with the station before it even went on air, began to formulate her own newscast in response to the new 30-minute newscast on KYW, the first half-hour newscast in the country. Fuldheim utterly hated hard-hitting newscasts such as the one KYW had created. Instead, Fuldheim centered her newscast around her interviews, a general overview of the news, and her commentaries (during which the very opinionated Fuldheim frequently inserted her own opinions about the stories). Fuldheim was the first female in the United States to have her own television news analysis program.

While the format of her show, The One O'Clock Club consisted primarily of news analysis, it also included commentary, book reviews and interviews. In the years that the One O'Clock Club aired, Ms. Fuldheim interviewed a number of diverse notable persons including the Duke of Windsor, Helen Keller, Barbara Walters and Martin Luther King Jr. She also interviewed several 20th century American presidents.

Ms. Fuldheim was known for her fiery red hair, and equally fiery opinions. She was not shy about supporting unpopular causes, nor in voicing her opposition if she disagreed with a guest. On one program, she interviewed 1960s activist Jerry Rubin about his book "Do It". His perceived rudeness, as well as referring to the police as "pigs" offended Ms. Fuldheim, resulting in her kicking Rubin off the set as the cameras continued running.[1]

At times, Ms Fuldheim could offend some members of her audience. A month after ejecting Rubin from her television show, she found herself in the controversial hotseat. On May 4, 1970 while live on the air, Fuldheim made the following statement regarding the actions of the Ohio National Guard during the Kent State shootings, "What is wrong with our country? "We're killing our own children." [2] Due to her reference to the shooting of the four students as murder, there were numerous calls from viewers for Fuldheim to resign from her position at WEWS. However, she had an equal number of supporters plus the backing of station management. She did not resign.

In 1980, Ms. Fuldheim was inducted in the Ohio Women's Hall of Fame [3]and went on to cover major 1980s events: She traveled to London to cover the 1981 royal wedding of Prince Charles and Diana, the funeral of assassinated Egyptian prime minister Anwar Sadat and to Northern Ireland to interview the family of IRA activist/hunger striker Bobby Sands. Ms. Fuldheim's long and distinguished career ended when she suffered a stroke in July 1984, shortly after interviewing U.S. President Ronald Reagan. She never again appeared on television and died in Cleveland five years later at the age of 96.[4]

In 2003, she was awarded an Ohio Historical Marker for her contributions to journalism.[5]

Some at NewsChannel 5 believe her ghost still haunts her old office, stating that the doors open on their own, calling it her way of "checking up on them." [6]