ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Betty R. Dickson began a newspaper career at age 12 as a ‘printer’s devil’ at the Simpson County News in Mendenhall, MS. She graduated from Southern Mississippi with a degree in liberal arts/journalism major and worked for newspapers in Lucedale, and Philadelphia. She and her husband Tom became publishers/editors of The Magee Courier in 1970. Considered one of the outstanding weekly newspapers in the state, they won numerous awards in the Mississippi Press Association’s yearly contest. The Dicksons reported on integration of the county schools, exposed corrupt county officials and built a reputation as being unafraid to tackle tough stories in a fair manner. After the newspaper sold in 1984, she became executive director of the Mississippi Nurses Association where she excelled in association management and as a lobbyist for nurses. She continued as a lobbyist after retirement from the association. She lives in Asheville, North Carolina.