Nellie Bly (1864-1922) - Find a Grave Memorial

Journalist. She was a pioneer of investigative journalism. Born Elizabeth Jane Cochrane, her career with the Pittsburgh "Dispatch" was the first of many papers and magazines which gave her employment in her lifetime. Taking a pen name from composer Stephen Foster's song "Nelly Bly", she exposed abuses in politics, employment and dereliction of duty in hospitals and prisons. In one instance, she feigned insanity to get herself committed to an asylum to be able to get the "inside story." By pre-arrangement, friends won her release after ten days and her articles on treatment of institutionalized mentally ill had great impact. After a storied career, she married a millionaire industrialist 40 years her senior and retired from journalism. After a ten year marriage, he died and she took to managing his manufacturing company. Her lack of business acumen soon resulted in complete bankruptcy for The Iron Clad Manufacturing Company. In 1914, she sailed for England to escape her financial problems and with the outbreak of World War I, became the first woman to report the war news direct from the front. She returned home and briefly picked up her journalism career. but eventually died completely destitute. In 1978, the New York Press Club formally recognized Nellie Bly's leading role in the profession and erected a monument on her unmarked grave in Woodlawn Cemetery.

Bio by: Paul S.