Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 10, 1905, Era Bell Thompson, the glass ceiling-breaking editor of Ebony Magazine, was born in Des Moines. As a graduate of Morningside University in Sioux City, Thompson’s literary career included articles, memoirs, and other nonfiction works.
After spending her first nine years in Iowa’s capital city, Thompson moved with her family to a homestead near Driscoll, North Dakota, where her father tried his hand at farming. Eventually, the family settled in Bismarck, North Dakota, where Thompson graduated from Bismarck High.
For two years, Thompson attended the University of North Dakota, where she honed her journalism skills while setting school records in track and field. A bout with pleurisy ended her track career and left her without a scholarship. Following a short stint in Chicago working her first magazine job, Thompson returned to Iowa, where she obtained a BA from Sioux City’s Morningside College.
Post-graduation, Thompson headed back to the Windy City and earned a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern. Her autobiography, “American Daughter,” drew critical acclaim, and Thompson found a home at Ebony Magazine, where she helped to develop the important publication’s direction over a four-decade career. #IowaOTD #IowaHistoryDaily #IowaHistoryCalendar
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