Cord Byrd: “Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham, who passed away today, was a towering figure in the world of journalism. Her…”

“Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham, who passed away today, was a towering figure in the world of journalism. Her courageous stance during the publication of the Pentagon Papers in 1971 and during the Watergate saga, and her steadfast support for her editors and reporters during those trying times, left an unalterable mark upon American journalism and earned her a place in history. With Mrs. Graham at the helm, the Post became one of the leading newspapers in the United States and a veritable American institution. During her three decades at the helm of the Post she became one of the most influential and admired women in the business world. She was the first woman to head a Fortune 500 company and the first woman to serve as a director of the Associated Press. Mrs. Graham was an accomplished scribe in her own right. She began her career as a newspaper reporter in San Francisco. After her many successful years in the business end of journalism, she returned to writing and in 1997, at the age of 80, earned a Pulitzer Prize for her autobiography, ``Personal History.'' Despite the Post's success under her leadership, Mrs. Graham remained modest about her own role. In words that could serve as a guide to future publishers, or even to United States Senators, she said: You inherit something and you do what you can. And so the person who succeeds you inherits something different, and you add to it or you subtract from it . . . .”