Jane Nickerson

Jane Nickerson (May 19, 1916 – February 27, 2000) was an American food writer, newspaper editor, cookbook editor, and restaurant critic. She created the position of food editor at The New York Times and was instrumental in the professional development of James Beard and Craig Claiborne. She was influential in the modernization of food journalism.

Early life and education Nickerson was born May 19, 1916, in Manhattan. She graduated from Radcliffe College in 1938.

Career In 1939, Nickerson began working for Ladies Home Journal as an editorial assistant.

Nickerson left the Times in 1957 to move to Florida after her husband had been relocated there; she did not resume her career until 1973 when she became food editor for The Ledger.

Food writer Molly O'Neill called Nickerson one of the first food journalists to apply ethical standards in her work, and wrote that her work, unlike that of most food writers of the time, was centered around the news value of the story.

Personal life Nickerson married Alexander Francis Steinberg in 1950; the couple had four children. They divorced in 1972.

Death Nickerson died February 27, 2000, in Lakeland, Florida. She was 83.