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Past Honorees
Betty Debnam
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Past Honorees
Betty Debnam
Editor & Publisher
The Mini Page
2001
How do you make the leap from first-grade teacher to first-class
journalist and producer of a long-running, award-winning, syndicated
newspaper feature? As creator and editor of The
Mini Page since 1970, Betty Debnam has done just that.
She's taught the nation's children - and many adults, too - by generating
regular articles for more than 500 papers, never missing a deadline.
Betty's love for newspaper writing began with her childhood in Raleigh,
N.C. Young Betty often took a ride with her twin brother in the
back of the family car as their father, a reporter, went on an assignment.
Once, when they went to cover a fire, Betty was impressed because
they were allowed to go all the way in the front to watch. She saw
her dad, always running in and out of the newspaper or bringing
interesting people home for dinner. He taught her respect for sources,
she said, and was an inspiration to her. But her father, who later
became an editor and a television commentator, wasn't her only journalistic
influence: Her grandfather worked as an editor, and her grandmother
ran a weekly newspaper - solo. Betty recalled watching Grandma as
she stayed up many nights, writing to meet deadlines
Later, with a master's degree in education from Duke University,
Betty became an elementary school teacher. It was during her 11th
year in the classroom that she began mulling over what the local
newspaper could do to "step into" the classroom. She came
up with the idea for a mini-curriculum unit to be used in the classroom.
Dubbing it "The Mini Page," she showed it to The Raleigh
News and Observer.
The Observer's advertising manager - Dave Jones, who had five children
- saw the value in Betty's idea. All she had to do was sell enough
ads, and her "Mini Page" would secure a spot in the paper.
Calling Dave her main mentor and the first one who gave her a chance,
Betty has said much of her success was due to Dave.
So although she had never drawn before, she put her pen to work
crafting ads. She sold them to 13 stores, and then set about writing
and drawing her feature. Finally, on Aug. 29, 1969, the Observer
ran the first "Page."
Betty's next step was to design a 360-page ad book for salesmen
to take to prospective advertisers. When she had sold enough ads,
she stopped teaching to devote her full attention to "the Page."
And as it became clear that the "The Mini Page" was increasing
circulation, more newspapers bought the feature. To handle her larger
distribution, Betty signed with Universal Press Syndicate.
Beyond creating a popular feature, it was Betty's larger vision
to enlist newspapers in developing early literacy, at the same time
building their future readership. Betty has made an investment in
the world's future with her devotion to today's kids and their eagerness
to learn, said Kathleen Andrews and John McMeel, the founders of
Andrews McMeel Universal, in nominating her.
Kathleen remembers how Betty always treated youngsters to the same
sort of journalistic trip she had taken as a youth. Kathy's two
sons, ages 5 and 7, were interested in baseball, and when Betty
was on assignment with the Kansas City Royals, the Andrews children
got to go into the dugout and watch her interviewing the players.
Betty also became involved in an organization that shared her drive
to get newspapers into the classroom: the Newspaper in Education
program. These days, she's frequently sought as a consultant for
NIE managers at individual papers. Just as a newspaper opens up
the world in all its variety and richness, so does 'The Mini Page'
open up the world - from a child's perspective, her nomination says.
Betty has brought young readers to the newspaper through "The
Mini Page" mix of topical news features, games, puzzles, and
activities, and has dedicated her professional life to the goal
of making the world come alive through newsprint.
In addition to the regular feature, Betty has written and designed
books for school use including "How the Government Works,"
"A Kid's Guide to the White House," and "The Body
Parts Book." Her previous awards include honors from the Newspaper
Association of America, the North Carolina Journalism Hall of Fame,
the NIE Hall of Fame, the American Library Association, the American
Chemical Society, the Freedom Foundation, the Department of the
Interior, and The Association of Educational Publishers (more than
20). Middle Level Learning named her "one of the 10 most influential
individuals in social studies education today."
Betty lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband, former lobbyist
Richard Hunt.
http://www.minipage.com.
Ceremony Highlights
Martha Youngblood presented her friend, Betty Debnam, the editor
and publisher of The Mini Page.
"You can't imagine the things we've done to get a 'Mini Page'
story. We've flown the Goodyear blimp, we went on a complete tour
of a turkey farm, and inside the panda cages at a zoo," Youngblood
recalled. "She really showed me that a little Southern gal
could do what she wanted to ... And the true rewards are meeting
a child or visiting a classroom that uses The Mini Page."
After accepting her honors, Debnam thanked her family, mentors,
syndicate, editors, staff, newspapers, and readers. "By presenting
me with this honor, you have made this for me a better ... a much
better life," she said, quoting the closing line her father
had used in his newspaper columns.
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