Maggie Savoy

Margaret Ann Savoy Pitts Bellows (; February 14, 1917 – December 19, 1970) was an American newspaper editor. She was the women's editor for the Phoenix Gazette between 1947 and 1959, and then spent five years at The Arizona Republic. She moved to New York City in 1964 following her third marriage, to fellow journalist Jim Bellows, and wrote for the Associated Press, before joining United Press International to write on its urban beat. After moving to Los Angeles in 1967, she became the women's editor for the Los Angeles Times, writing for Section IV until it was renamed as the View in July 1970, where she profiled women including Joan Didion, Maya Angelou and Nancy Reagan.

Savoy worked to expand the focus of the women's page of newspapers, writing about social and environmental issues at a time when this was uncommon. She wrote columns on rape helplines, domestic violence, the death penalty and welfare. In 1963, she worked with Marie Anderson to survey editors nationally on the content of women's pages and the conditions for women's editors, finding that women's editors received less pay and support. She was an outspoken feminist, often profiling leaders of the women's liberation movement, including Elizabeth Duncan Koontz and Aileen Hernandez. Fellow editor Dorothy Roe described Savoy as "one of the two or three ablest women's editors in the country".

Early life Savoy was born Margaret Ann Case on February 14, 1917, in Des Moines, Iowa. Her father was Andrew Case, her mother was a teacher and encyclopedia salesperson and she had one brother, Robert. Her family were relatively well-off and she attended Fillmore Elementary School in Cedar Rapids before the family moved to Des Moines, Omaha, Nebraska, and Phoenix, Arizona. She often visited her uncle in New York by herself while growing up. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Southern California with an honors degree in journalism in 1940, where she had been a member of Phi Beta Kappa. At the time, the women's page of newspapers were focused on society and the home, primarily featuring social events, wedding announcements and fashion, but there was a push to cover the women's liberation movement and other political issues. As the women's editor, Savoy often also served as a fashion reporter, covering local seamstresses and designer fashion shows. However, throughout her career, Savoy wrote about social issues such as racism, sexism and economic inequality. Pulliam, who also owned the Republic, hired J. Edward Murray as the paper's managing editor in 1960 and he shared Savoy's liberal views, providing friendship and support. Murray wrote that she used her column to "stir a social conscience in the movers and shakers", which won her the first award granted by the Arizona Newspaper Association for best women's section.

Savoy pressed for the wedding announcements of African-Americans to be included in the paper at a time when this was rare and wrote stories on rape helplines, domestic violence and pay disparities. She was also interested in environmental issues, working with local leaders to establish the Valley Beautiful Committee in early 1963 after the response to one of her columns, which raised money for subterranean power lines and to protect green spaces, and advocated for Camelback Mountain to remain clear of proposed housing. On February 10, 1971, the Arizona Senate passed a unanimous resolution to honor Savoy, sponsored by Cloves Campbell Sr., Howard S. Baldwin, James A. Mack and Bob Stump.

An award in her honor was created by the Los Angeles Women in Communication following her death, given for community service. She was described by fellow editor Dorothy Roe as "one of the two or three ablest women's editors in the country" and by Pulliam as "one of the greatest". Despite this, she is not mentioned in the history of The Arizona Republic or in Privileged Son, Dennis McDougal's history of the L.A. Times. Bellows wrote a book about her in 1971 titled, Anyone Who Enters Here Must Celebrate Maggie, which included her columns and writing, as well as messages from her friends and colleagues. Among those who contributed letters were Luce, Angelou, and Ray Bradbury.