Flora Lewis

Who was Flora Lewis?

Flora Lewis was an American journalist.

Lewis was born into a Jewish family in Los Angeles. She attended University of California at Los Angeles graduating summa cum laude in 1941 and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, receiving her master's degree in journalism from Columbia University in 1942.

From 1945 to 1972, Lewis was married to New York Times, correspondent, editor, and publishing executive Sydney Gruson. She and Gruson had three children: Kerry, Sheila, and Lindsey.

The New York Times then had a rule against hiring wives of its correspondents, Lewis, however, contributed frequently to The New York Times Magazine and wrote for other publications.[ S

From 1956 to 1966 Lewis was a reporter for The Washington Post, where her work landed her on the master list of Nixon political opponents. In 1972 the New York Times appointed her foreign and diplomatic correspondent for The New York Times. She has the distinction of being the first woman to be given her own column on the New York Times op-ed page.

Flora Lewis wrote five books: Red Pawn: The Story of Noel Field, The Strange History of an American Caught Up in an International Communist Intrigue; A Case History of Hope: The Story of Poland's Peaceful Revolutions; Europe: A Tapestry of Nations; and One of Our H-bombs is Missing