Isma Dooly
American editor (1870–1921)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Isma Dooly (1870 – May 11, 1921), also seen as Isma Dooley, was an American newspaper editor and clubwoman, based in Atlanta, Georgia.
Isma Dooly | |
|---|---|
Isma Dooly, from a newspaper clipping, about 1900. | |
| Born | 1870 Georgia |
| Died | May 11, 1921 (aged 50–51) Atlanta, Georgia |
| Other names | Isma Dooley |
| Occupations | Newspaper editor, clubwoman |
| Known for | Editor of first "woman's page" in a Southern newspaper |
Early life
Isma Dooly was born in Georgia. She was raised as the daughter of her aunt and uncle, Martin H. Dooly and Margaret "Meta" d'Laracy Dooly; both parents were born in Ireland.[1] She attended school at the Convent of the Sacred Heart in New York.[2][3]
Career
Dooly was a reporter and editor at The Atlanta Constitution from 1893 to 1921,[4][5] and edited the Woman's Department section, the first "woman's page" in a Southern newspaper.[6][7] Beyond the usual society-page topics such as corsets[8] and shoes,[9] Dooly's writing covered the war in Cuba,[6] a Japanese silent film actress,[10] automotive sports,[11] and prison conditions in Georgia.[12]
Dooly was one of the founders and leaders of the Atlanta Woman's Club, and of the Georgia Federation of Woman's Clubs.[13] She opposed the inclusion of "radical or sentimental" women in the federation's work, including suffragists and working-class women,[14] though she approved of charitable and educational efforts to improve the lives of poor and black Atlantans.[15] She served on the Board of Lady Visitors for Atlanta's public schools,[16] worked for the admission of women to the University of Georgia,[17] and was active in the United Daughters of the Confederacy.[18]
During World War I, Dooly headed the publicity department of the Georgia division of the Woman's Committee Council of National Defense.[19][20]
Personal life
Dooly died in 1921, aged 50, in Atlanta.[4] A school auditorium in Tallulah Falls was named in her memory.[17][21]
