Helen Thomas
Helen Thomas
Award-winning journalist and best-selling author
Helen Thomas is Dean of the White House Press Corps and can be seen almost daily on televised press conferences. She has spent more than sixty years covering Washington politics.
She is known for her many firsts as a female journalist.
During the years she covered Kennedy, Thomas was the first woman to close a presidential news conference with the traditional "Thank you, Mr. President."
She was the first woman officer of the National Press Club after it opened its doors to women members for the first time in 90 years.
She also became the first woman officer of the White House Correspondents Association in its 50 years of existence, and served as its first woman president in 1975-76.
She became the first woman member of the Gridiron Club in its history, and the first woman to be elected President in 1993.
In 1968 Thomas was named the "Newspaper Woman of Washington" by the American Newspaper Woman's Club, and in 1975, she was named the "Woman of the Year" in communications by Ladies Home Journal. She has also received the Matrix Award from the Women in Communications, and the World Almanac named Helen Thomas as one of the twenty-five most influential women in America.
Helen Thomas traveled around the world several times with Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush and Clinton, and covered every economic summit. In February, 1972, she was the only newspaperwoman to travel with President Nixon to China during his breakthrough trip. Since then, she has been to China on many subsequent presidential visits.
Thomas continues to ask her pointed questions of President George W. Bush and his press secretary on a daily basis.
Thomas is the author of four adult books -- Dateline: White House, Front Row at the White House (her memoir), Thanks for the Memories, Mr. President, and Watchdogs of Democracy? about how journalism has changed. She delivers a powerful discourse on the state of political reportage — as well as a welcome and inspiring demand for meaningful and lasting reform.
New in 2008, The Great White House Breakout - a hilarious adventure starring the First Kid. This newest book for children is laugh out loud funny no matter what your age. Written with Pulitzer nominated political cartoonist Chip Bok, The Great White House Breakout is beautifully color illustrated and is sure to become a family favorite.
Visit her Official website.