Meg Greenfield (1930–99,) fully Mary Ellen Greenfield, was an American editorial writer and Socialite. One of her generation’s most accomplished and influential journalists, she worked for the Washington Post and Newsweek. Her dinner parties and social events in Washington, D.C. and Washington State were legendary.
Born to a Jewish family in Seattle, Greenfield graduated summa cum laude from Smith College in 1952. She also studied at Newnham College, Cambridge University, as a Fulbright Scholar and was friends with Norman Podhoretz, who also distinguished a career in journalism.
Greenfield wrote for The Reporter magazine 1957–68. She then joined The Washington Post editorial department, becoming deputy editor in 1970 and then editor in 1979 of the editorial page, which she held until her death.
A close confidante of Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham, Greenfield also served as a columnist for Newsweek for 25 years. Known for her intelligent but fair-minded political analysis, she was awarded the Pulitzer for distinguished commentary in 1978.
Greenfield’s memoir, Washington (2001,) was published posthumously.
Meg Greenfield was one of the guests at a party hosted by Mary Maxwell Gates, Bill Gates’s mother. At this party, Warren Buffett, another guest, initiated his legendary friendship with Bill Gates.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Meg Greenfield
Ninety percent of politics is deciding whom to blame.
—Meg Greenfield
Topics: Politicians, Politics
Everybody’s for democracy in principle. It’s only in practice that the thing gives rise to stiff objections.
—Meg Greenfield
Topics: Democracy
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