Alabama born and educated, Hazel Brannon Smith owned and edited four Mississippi weekly newspapers during the 1950s and 60s. She spoke out against racial violence and intimidation and in support of the law and freedom of speech. In 1964, Smith received the Pulitzer Prize, becoming the first woman to receive the prize for editorial writing. The Pulitzer committee acknowledged her “steadfast adherence to her editorial duties in the face of great pressure and opposition.”
Photos courtesy of: Gadsden Library, Mississippi State