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Ethel Grodzins Romm (March 3, 1925 – November 9, 2021) was an American author, journalist, project manager and environmental technology company CEO. She also served as Co-Chair of the Lyceum Society of the
New York Academy of Sciences The New York Academy of Sciences (originally the Lyceum of Natural History) was founded in January 1817 as the Lyceum of Natural History. It is the fourth oldest scientific society in the United States. An independent, nonprofit organization wit ...
. Romm graduated from high school in 1942 and trained as a mechanical engineering draftsman. She worked for the U.S. Air Force for the rest of World War II, becoming a project supervisor. For a decade after the war, at an engineering firm, she led crews that designed power transformers for
General Electric General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable energ ...
. In the 1950s she married and started a family, while beginning to write books and articles and to teach interior and construction design. In the 1980s, she became a project, construction and building manager for
Hartz Mountain Industries Hartz Mountain Industries (HMI) is a private family-owned-and-operated company known for its real estate holdings in the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan Area. Its former parent, Hartz Mountain Corporation, which is notable for its pet product ...
and then was President and Chief Executive Officer of Niton Corporation, an environmental science company, from 1988 to 1997. She was Co-Chair of the Lyceum Society from 2001 to 2016.


Life and career

Romm was born in
Lowell, Massachusetts Lowell () is a city in Massachusetts, in the United States. Alongside Cambridge, It is one of two traditional seats of Middlesex County. With an estimated population of 115,554 in 2020, it was the fifth most populous city in Massachusetts as of ...
, the daughter of David Melvin Grodzins and his wife Taube Grodzins, Jewish emigrants, with roots in Poland and
Grodno Grodno (russian: Гродно, pl, Grodno; lt, Gardinas) or Hrodna ( be, Гродна ), is a city in western Belarus. The city is located on the Neman River, 300 km (186 mi) from Minsk, about 15 km (9 mi) from the Polish b ...
, Belarus. Kawasaki, Guy. "Ethel Grodzins Romm" in ''Hindsights: The Wisdom and Breakthroughs of Remarkable People'', Beyond Words Publishing (1994)
pp. 11–17
/ref> She grew up in
Manchester, New Hampshire Manchester is a city in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. It is the most populous city in New Hampshire. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 115,644. Manchester is, along with Nashua, one of two seats of New Hamp ...
, and graduated from
Manchester Central High School Manchester High School Central is the oldest public high school in the state of New Hampshire. Located in the heart of Manchester, New Hampshire, approximately 1,200 students attend from communities such as Hooksett and Manchester, and it for ...
in 1942. Her brother is physicist
Lee Grodzins Lee may refer to: Name Given name * Lee (given name), a given name in English Surname * Chinese surnames romanized as Li or Lee: ** Li (surname 李) or Lee (Hanzi ), a common Chinese surname ** Li (surname 利) or Lee (Hanzi ), a Chinese s ...
,Thomson, Elizabeth A
"Lead detector wins R&D award"
MIT News, December 13, 1995, accessed July 12, 2016
and her sister was librarian and library science expert
Anne Grodzins Lipow Anne Lipow (February 27, 1935 – September 9, 2004) was a prominent librarian who worked at the University of California, Berkeley Libraries. In 1992, she retired from Berkeley and started the Library Solutions Institute and Press. Early life a ...
. Upon graduating from high school, Romm was trained as a mechanical engineering draftsman at Bausch Machine Tool Company in Massachusetts. With many men away from home serving in
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, she was quickly hired by the
U.S. Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Sign ...
at
Westover Air Force Base Westover may refer to: People * Al Westover (born 1954), American professional basketball player in Australia * Arthur Westover (1864–1935), Canadian sport shooter and 1908 Olympian * Charles Westover (1934–1990), better known as Del Shannon, ...
in Massachusetts as a civilian draftsman, where she stayed for the rest of the war, becoming a project supervisor and head of the drafting department. After the war, she worked for Associate Engineers, Inc., in
Agawam, Massachusetts Agawam is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 28,692 at the 2020 census. Agawam sits on the western side of the Connecticut River, directly across from Springfield, Massachusetts ...
, from 1946 to 1954, where she headed crews that designed power transformers for
General Electric General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable energ ...
. She then married newspaper reporter Al Romm (1926–1999) and moved, in 1957, to Middletown, New York, where her husband became the first editor of the ''
Times Herald-Record The ''Times Herald-Record'', often referred to as ''The Record'' or ''Middletown Record'' in its coverage area, is a daily newspaper published in Middletown, New York, covering the northwest suburbs of New York City. It covers Orange, Sullivan ...
'' newspaper and later vice president for news of Ottaway Newspapers.Romm, Ethel Grodzins
"Sex, Drugs, Rock 'N Roll in Redneck Country"
''
Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...
'', September 15, 2009, accessed November 22, 2016
The couple had three sons, David, the host and producer of
Shockwave Radio Theater ''Shockwave Radio Theater'' was broadcast for 28 years on Fresh Air Radio, the community radio station KFAI, 90.3FM Minneapolis, 106.7FM St. Paul from 1979 to 2007. Much of Shockwave Radio is archived on archive.org or on the audio page of Dave Rom ...
on
KFAI KFAI (90.3 FM Minneapolis) is a community radio station in Minnesota. The station broadcasts a wide variety of music, and also airs programming catering to many of the diverse ethnic groups of the region. KFAI has frequently been honored by lo ...
-FM; Daniel, a physician; and
Joseph Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the mo ...
, a writer, physicist and climate expert. While in Middletown, over the next 25 years, Romm became an author, journalist and interior and construction designer and lectured on those subjects at
Orange County Community College SUNY Orange (Orange County Community College) is a public community college with two campuses, one in Middletown, New York and one in Newburgh, New York. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system and offers almost 40 associa ...
."The Workmen's Circle to Honor Activists Ethel Grodzins Romm & Joe Romm at 2016 Winter Benefit"
BroadwayWorld.com, October 20, 2016
In 1960, she won her third Dorothy Dawes Awards for excellence in home furnishings reporting. Romm had articles published in ''
Editor & Publisher ''Editor & Publisher'' (''E&P'') is an American monthly trade news magazine covering the newspaper industry. Published since 1901, ''Editor & Publisher'' is the self-described "bible of the newspaper industry." Originally based in New York City, ...
'', the ''
ABA Journal The ''ABA Journal'' (since 1984, formerly ''American Bar Association Journal'', 1915–1983, evolved from '' Annual Bulletin'', 1908–1914) is a monthly legal trade magazine and the flagship publication of the American Bar Association. It is no ...
'', ''
Esquire Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentlema ...
'', ''
New York Magazine ''New York'' is an American biweekly magazine concerned with life, culture, politics, and style generally, and with a particular emphasis on New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to ''The New Yorker'', ...
'' and ''
Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...
'' among others.Rephun, Menachem
"Activists to Be Honored by Workmen’s Circle"
, ''Jewish Political News & Updates'', October 26, 2016
Among other topics, she wrote about '60s counterculture and the underground press, writing and editing style, Education and the intersection of engineering and gender equality. Romm gained additional notice for an incident at the
White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...
, in 1972, where she and her husband had been invited as part of a gathering of the
American Society of Newspaper Editors The American Society of News Editors (ASNE) was a membership organization for editors, producers or directors in charge of journalistic organizations or departments, deans or faculty at university journalism schools, and leaders and faculty of ...
. The Secret Service became aware that she had a reputation for speaking her mind and was opposed to the war in Vietnam. While the couple was waiting in the reception line to meet President
Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...
, a Secret Service Agent asked Romm her intentions regarding any statements that she might make to the president. He told her that he was concerned "about the president's time". Romm and her husband left without meeting the president and later received an apology from the White House, saying that it was not White House policy to question writers and editors waiting to meet the president. Romm was a project, construction and building manager for
Hartz Mountain Industries Hartz Mountain Industries (HMI) is a private family-owned-and-operated company known for its real estate holdings in the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan Area. Its former parent, Hartz Mountain Corporation, which is notable for its pet product ...
in New York City from 1984 to 1988."Obituary: Ethel Grodzins Romm"
''
Times Herald-Record The ''Times Herald-Record'', often referred to as ''The Record'' or ''Middletown Record'' in its coverage area, is a daily newspaper published in Middletown, New York, covering the northwest suburbs of New York City. It covers Orange, Sullivan ...
'', December 4, 2021
She then was President, Chief Executive Officer of Niton Corporation, in
Bedford, Massachusetts Bedford is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population of Bedford was 14,383 at the time of the 2020 United States Census. History ''The following compilation comes from Ellen Abrams (1999) based on information ...
, from 1988 to 1997, which designed and built lead and
radon Radon is a chemical element with the symbol Rn and atomic number 86. It is a radioactive, colourless, odourless, tasteless noble gas. It occurs naturally in minute quantities as an intermediate step in the normal radioactive decay chains through ...
detectors, portable X-ray analyzers and other environmental science equipment patented by her brother Lee. She was Co-Chair of the Lyceum Society of the
New York Academy of Sciences The New York Academy of Sciences (originally the Lyceum of Natural History) was founded in January 1817 as the Lyceum of Natural History. It is the fourth oldest scientific society in the United States. An independent, nonprofit organization wit ...
from 2001 to 2016."#IAmNYAS: Ethel Romm"
The New York Academy of Sciences, October 24, 2016
She was also a member of the
Roosevelt Island Roosevelt Island is an island in New York City's East River, within the borough of Manhattan. It lies between Manhattan Island to the west, and the borough of Queens, on Long Island, to the east. Running from the equivalent of East 46th to 85 ...
Resident Association Common Council. In 2016,
Workmen's Circle The Workers Circle or Der Arbeter Ring ( yi, דער אַרבעטער־רינג), formerly The Workmen's Circle, is an American Jewish nonprofit organization that promotes social and economic justice, Jewish community and education, including Yiddi ...
devoted its annual winter benefit to a celebration of her life and work. Romm died from
Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegeneration, neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in short-term me ...
in Washington, D.C., on November 9, 2021, at the age of 96."Remembering Ethel Grodzins Romm"
Roosevelt Island Historical Society, November 13, 2021


Books by Romm

* ''The Open Conspiracy: What America's Angry Generation Is Saying'', Stackpole Books (1970) * ''Marvelous Machines'' (co-author James McCrea), Holt, Rinehart and Winston (1973) * ''Throw Out Wednesday'', Satellite Books (1973) * ''A Labor Viewpoint: Another Opinion'' (ed). Collection of essays by
Sol Chaikin Sol Chick Chaikin (9 January 1918 – 1 April 1991) was an American trade union organizer. He served as president of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union from 1975 until 1986. He earned a law degree from Brooklyn Law School in 1940. H ...
. Foreword by Senator
Daniel Patrick Moynihan Daniel Patrick Moynihan (March 16, 1927 – March 26, 2003) was an American politician, diplomat and sociologist. A member of the Democratic Party, he represented New York in the United States Senate from 1977 until 2001 and served as an ...
; Introduction by Ethel Grodzins Romm, Library Research Associates (1980) * ''Strategies in Reading'', Harcourt Brace Jovanovich (1984)


Notes


External links


An article by Romm
in ''New York Magazine'' (1968)
An Op-Ed by Romm
in ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' (1981)
Interview of Romm on her management philosophy
(2016) {{DEFAULTSORT:Romm, Ethel Grodzins 1925 births 2021 deaths American political writers American mechanical engineers Jewish American writers Writers from New York (state) People from Lowell, Massachusetts People from Manchester, New Hampshire 21st-century American Jews Manchester Central High School alumni