Mississippi Media Professionals (Mississippi Press Women) records

On June 6, 1947, Mississippi Press Association member and National Federation of Press Women member at large, Mary D. Cain initiated the organization of the press women in Mississippi. That same year the newly organized Mississippi Press Women began their affiliation with the national organization. Mrs. Cain served as the first elected president with an official board composed of Hazel Brannon Smith, vice president; Lois Anderson, secretary-treasurer. Other than the aforementioned women, the majority of the original members were wives of Mississippi Press Association members. Originally the organization consisted of only 19 members, but by the time the list of members was sent for the 1947-48 NFPW directory there were 36 women named. While very few of the original members had ever had any formal training in the newspaper industry, visiting speakers and seminars provided training in professional journalism.

In 1958, the Mississippi Press Women hosted their very first national convention for the National Federation of Press Women in Jackson, Mississippi. Representatives from every state in which press women affiliated attended the event. The visitors were treated to a tour of historic homes as well as a reception at the Governor’s mansion. The post-convention tour consisted of 125 participants traveling from Jackson to Vicksburg to the Mississippi Coast and back to Jackson stopping in 20 towns and communities along the way.

The MPW hosted its second national convention in 1977 as a part of the NFPW’s 40th anniversary. The convention activities included a tour of Florewood Plantation, breakfast at the Governor’s Mansion, and excursions to Vicksburg, Natchez, and New Orleans.

Also in 1977, MPW eliminated any reference to sex and expanded the language of its by-laws to include all professional communicators. Steve Wilkerson of WLOX-TV, Biloxi, became the first male member. The organization was incorporated in 1979. In 1981 after touring the Mississippi Center for Educational Television, the MPW asked the scholarship committee to begin solicitations from both print and broadcast media and they voted to award five $100 scholarships during 1982 to students from all the major Mississippi Universities. 1982 marked the 35th anniversary of the Mississippi Press Women. The Broadwater Beach Hotel in Biloxi hosted a champagne and birthday cake reception during the annual convention of the Mississippi Press Association. Mary Lou Webb became the first Mississippi Press Woman elected as president of NFPW in 1987. Her term as president began during the 50th Anniversary Conference at Williamsburg, VA. Gov. Bill Allain of Mississippi declared that week in June to be National Federation of Press Women Week. Three Mississippi Press Women participated in the Russian study mission in 1989. The National Federation of Press Women sponsored the mission that was initiated and set up by Mary Lou Webb. March 1993 brought a major change to the Mississippi Press Women in the form of a name change. Mississippi Press Women became Mississippi Media Professionals (MMP)—a name encompassing all media. It came as NFPW was seeking to change its image to fit modern journalism. “Mystery and Magnolias in Mississippi” was the title given to the third national conference held in Jackson in 1995. The conference boasted 13 widely varied workshops and an optional tour visiting the Choctaw Nation at Philadelphia. A reception/dinner was held at the Fairview home in Jackson and concluded with a visit to a workshop session of the Ballet Magnificat. Also, a memorial service was held to pay tribute to Hazel Brannon Smith. In 1996, the future of the organization was in peril. Membership had dropped to 20 and a survey was sent to members statewide asking if they were in favor of MMP continuing. Despite there being only a small amount of positive responses, it was decided that the organization would continue. The 50th anniversary was celebrated in 1997 during a banquet and workshop at Old Waverly Golf and Country Club in West Point. In 2000, the organization president led the organization to decide to archive the MMP records at the Special Collections Department, Mitchell Memorial Library, Mississippi State University. Mississippi Media Professionals, formerly Mississippi Press Women, continues as an affiliate of the National Federation of Press Women.

Names of past presidents: Mary Cain, 1947-1949. Lyda Will Emmerich, 1949-1950. Velma Taylor, 1950-1951. Lois Anderson, 1951-52. Lillian Thornton, 1952-1953. Jaunita Hight, 1953-1954. Lu Morehead, 1954-1956. Hazel Brannon Smith, 1956-1958. Maurine Twiss, 1958-1960. Margaret Phillips, 1960-1962. Mary Alice Bookhart, 1962-1964. Margaret Phillips, 1964-1966. Mildred Dearman, 1966-1968. Jessie McKay, 1968-1970. Mary Lou Webb, 1970-1972. Barbara Austin, 1972-1974. Jean Perry, 1975-1976. Pat Sellers, 1977-1978. Jane Tannehill, 1979-1980. Nancy Kay Sullivan, 1981-1982. Linda Ross-Aldy, 1983-1984. Alice McCardle, 1985. Ruby Graham, 1986-1987. Susan Ruddiman, 1988-1989. Sarah Bondurant, 1990-1992. Patti Drapala, 1993. Peggy Keyes Gray, 1993-1996. Sarah Peugh, 1996-1998. Faye Moreland, 1999- .

Source: Mississippi Media Professionals 50th Anniversary Mini-History, 1997.