The Press: Speak No Evil

The late Rachel Kollock McDowell, longtime (28 years) religious news editor of the New York Times, was known to her more irreverent colleagues as “the lady bishop.” In the hope of making news men “swear off swearing,” she founded the Pure Language League, tried to get fellow staffers to sign pledges against cussing. Even in death Miss McDowell carried on her good fight. Her will, probated last week, left about $3,000 to the New York Newspaper Guild (of which she was not a member) to perpetuate the Pure Language League by distributing pamphlets. Said the Guild’s Executive Vice President Tom Murphy: “Well, we’ve got the money, but I don’t know what the hell we’re going to do with it.”