Past Inductees

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.

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.