Jennie O. Starkey Explained

Jennie O. Starkey (ca. 1856 – October 21, 1918) was an American journalist and newspaper editor, the first woman in Detroit to adopt journalism as a profession. As a staff member of the Detroit Free Press, she managed "The Puzzler" department before serving as editor of "The Household", "Fair Woman's World", "The Letter-Box", and "The Sunday Breakfast-Table" departments. She was a member of the board of directors of the Michigan Authors' Association, a charter member of the Michigan Woman's Press Association, and president of the Michigan Woman's Press Club.^[1]

Biography

Jennie O. Starkey was born in Detroit, Michigan, ca. 1856.^[2] She was the youngest daughter of Ellen Jane Taylor (Hittell) and Henry Mitchell Starkey,^[3] of Detroit. Her father was a journalist and prominent in municipal affairs. In 1855, he became the city editor of the Detroit Free Press, taking over the position from his brother, Richard.^[4] Jennie's siblings were Mary (b. 1854) and Harry (b. 1858).^[5]

In April, 1878, before her graduation from the Detroit high school, she joined the staff of the Detroit Free Press, taking under her control the department known as "The Puzzler". Her abilities outgrew that department, and she was soon made editor of a department known as "The Household", later of "Fair Woman's World", "The Letter-Box", and "The Sunday Breakfast-Table". Her duties became so onerous that she was finally forced to drop the first mentioned of these departments. She was the first woman in Detroit to adopt journalism as a profession.

Starkey served on the board of directors of the Michigan Authors' Association.^[6] She was one of the charter members of the Michigan Woman's Press Association, ending her affiliation with it when she joined the Michigan Woman's Press Club, of which she served as president in 1894.^[7] Starkey was also a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Jennie O. Starkey died in Detroit of pneumonia, following an attack of Spanish influenza, October 21, 1918.^[8]

Notes and References

1. Book: Willard . Frances Elizabeth . Frances Willard . Livermore . Mary Ashton Rice . Mary Livermore . A Woman of the Century: Fourteen Hundred-seventy Biographical Sketches Accompanied by Portraits of Leading American Women in All Walks of Life . 1893 . 678 . . STARKEY, Miss Jennie O. .
2. Web site: United States Census, 1860 Michigan Wayne 6th Ward Detroit . familysearch . 2 December 2022.
3. Book: Daughters of the American Revolution . Lineage Book of the Charter Members of the Daughters of the American Revolution . 1907 . Daughters of the American Revolution . 46 . https://books.google.com/books?id=4m0ZAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA46 . 2 December 2022 . en . MISS JENNIE O. STARKEY. 22138.
4. Book: Morris . Peter . Baseball Fever: Early Baseball in Michigan . 2003 . University of Michigan Press . 978-0-472-06826-5 . 2 December 2022 . en.
5. Web site: Jennie O. Starkey 1857 – 21 October 1918 • GDC3-VLW . www.familysearch.org . 2 December 2022.
6. Book: Michigan History . 1917 . 651 . 2 December 2022 . en.
7. Book: Burt . Elizabeth V. . Women's Press Organizations, 1881–1999 . 2000 . Greenwood Publishing Group . 978-0-313-30661-7 . 123–24 . 2 December 2022 . en.
8. News: Obituary, Jennie O. Starkey; Detroit, Michigan, October 21, 1918. . 2 December 2022 . Detroit Free Press . Newspapers.com . 23 October 1918 . 5 . en.