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Women's History Month: Charlotte Ebener, foreign correspondent

By heather on Feb 27, 2014 3:27 PM
CharlotteEbener1936.jpg
Charlotte Ebener, North Division High School yearbook photo, 1936
Charlotte Ebener was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on 29 September 1918. She graduated from North Division High School in 1936 and the University of Wisconsin in 1942. She began her career of Foreign Service with the American Red Cross during World War II. Ms. Ebener then worked for International News Service (INS) as an overseas correspondent. In 1948, Charlotte married Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, George Weller. They met in late 1945 while covering China, he for Chicago Daily News and she for INS. They traveled extensively as foreign correspondents and were based in Rome, Italy. In 1955, Ebener published a book, based on her letters home, about her experiences abroad. No Facilities For Women has the following dedication: "To my mother, who saved my letters and notes in the hope I would write a book." Her book title comes from the lack of accommodations female correspondents faced out in the field. Ebener's travels took her to India, Europe, China, the Middle East, Africa, the Pacific, and more. She reported on all kinds of stories, ranging from fashion to politics. Occasionally, she became part of the story as she did in Cairo, Egypt, when she joined a hunger strike for women's voting rights. Milwaukee Public Library has a small manuscript collection of Ms. Ebener's personal letters to her mother. The letters date between 1947 and 1955 and detail Ms. Ebener's world travels along with news clippings to provide additional context. Read the finding aid online in our Special Collections Finder database. Please contact the Humanities Department at 414-286-3061 to view these materials. Ms. Ebener died in Italy at age 71. Her obituary appeared in the Chicago Sun Times on 31 October 1990 (article available within Milwaukee Public Libraries and by remote access to City of Milwaukee residents by entering library card barcode and PIN). Submitted by Louise at Central.

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