By: Susan Croce Kelly
ISBN: 978-1682262368
University of Arkansas Press, 2023
Lucile Morris Upton landed her first newspaper job out West in the early 1920s, then returned home to spend half a century reporting on the Ozarks world she knew best. Having come of age just as women gained the right to vote, she took advantage of opportunities that presented themselves in a changing world. During her years as a journalist, Upton rubbed shoulders with presidents, flew with aviation pioneer Wiley Post, covered the worst single killing of US police officers in the twentieth century, wrote an acclaimed book on the vigilante group known as the Bald Knobbers, charted the growth of tourism in the Ozarks, and spearheaded a movement to preserve iconic sites of regional history. Following retirement from her newspaper job, she put her experience to good use as a member of the Springfield City Council and community activist.
Told largely through Upton’s own words, this insightful biography captures the excitement of being on the front lines of newsgathering in the days when the whole world depended on newspapers to find out what was happening.
About the Author
Former newspaper reporter Susan Croce Kelly is best known as the award-winning author of ROUTE 66, THE HIGHWAY AND ITS PEOPLE, a book that helped launch the world\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s renewed interest in the old highway.
Kelly grew up along Route 66 in St. Louis and has worked as a newspaper and magazine journalist, columnist, travel writer, and editor. She founded and edited OZARKS MAGAZINE, a regional magazine that celebrated the unique land and people of the Missouri and Arkansas Ozarks. Today, she is managing editor of OZARKSWATCH MAGAZINE, which focuses on the history and culture of the remarkable, and often misunderstood, region.
To learn more about Susan Croce Kelly and her work, please see susancrocekelly.com