Prudence Penny was a pen name used by women home economics writers and editors in various Hearst newspapers in America, starting in the 1920's. Under the pseudonym, the writer would write regular newspaper columns where she shared recipes (often emphasizing frugality), answered reader letters, gave advice for the home, and offered local cooking demonstrations. Some of them also hosted radio presentations, and wrote and edited cookbooks. Mabelle Burbridge, one of the first to write under the "Prudence Penny" byline, replied to 70,000 letters from readers in her first year. "Prudence Penny" also starred as "Herself" in several films, most notably in

Penny Wisdom ''Penny Wisdom'' is a 1937 American short comedy film directed by David Miller and produced by Pete Smith. In 1938, the film won an Oscar at the 10th Academy Awards for Best Short Subject (Color). Plot The opening of the film uses the music ...

which won an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

in 1938 for best short subject. Some of the women who used the "Prudence Penny"

nom de plume A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen na ...

were: * Mary Baker (died 1932), radio speaker and columnist for the Omaha Bee-News *

Martha Bohlson Martha (Hebrew: מָרְתָא‎) is a biblical figure described in the Gospels of Luke and John. Together with her siblings Lazarus and Mary of Bethany, she is described as living in the village of Bethany near Jerusalem. She was witness to Je ...

(1905-1984), Nebraskan home economics writer, radio, and TV pioneer *

Mabelle Burbridge Seth Ennis (born November 30, 1992) is an American country music singer. He has released one single for Arista Nashville. History Ennis was born in Dothan, Alabama into a military family. He calls Valdosta, Georgia home. He played drums and pian ...

, home economist writing for the ''

New York Daily Mirror The ''New York Daily Mirror'' was an American morning tabloid newspaper first published on June 24, 1924, in New York City by the William Randolph Hearst organization as a contrast to their mainstream broadsheets, the ''Evening Journal'' and ''N ...

'' starting in the 1920's * Claire Charles (died 1969), writer of nationally syndicated column "Household Hints" *

Aleene Gregory Houghton Alleene (also Aleene, Allene, Lawrenceville, Mineola, and Minneola) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Little River County, Arkansas, United States. It was first listed as a CDP in the 2020 census with a populati ...

, teacher, educator, editor, and journalist *

Leona Alford Malek Leona Alford Malek (1878-1951) was a home economist, editor, writer, and radio personality who used various pen names such as Jean Prescott Adams, and was one of several women who published and presented under the name of Prudence Penny. Early l ...

(1878-1953), home economist writing for the ''

Chicago Herald and Examiner The ''Chicago American'' was an afternoon newspaper published in Chicago, under various names until its dissolution in 1974. History The paper's first edition came out on July 4, 1900, as '' Hearst's Chicago American''. It became the ''Morning ...

'' *

Dorothy Malone Dorothy Malone (born Mary Dorothy Maloney; January 29, 1924 – January 19, 2018) was an American actress. Her film career began in 1943, and in her early years, she played small roles, mainly in B-movies, with the exception of a supporting role ...

(born 1901), cookbook writer writing for the ''

New York American :''Includes coverage of New York Journal-American and its predecessors New York Journal, The Journal, New York American and New York Evening Journal'' The ''New York Journal-American'' was a daily newspaper published in New York City from 1937 t ...

'' * Vaudine Newell, writing for 26 years as Prudence Penny for the ''New York Daily Mirror'' *

Bernice Orpha Redington Bernice Orpha Redington (December 9, 1891 – March 9, 1966) was a home economics expert and journalist, her bylines being Prudence Penny, Carolyn Cuisine and Mary Mills. Early life Bernice Orpha Redington was born on December 9, 1891, in Puyallu ...

(1891-1966), home economist writing for the ''

Seattle Post-Intelligencer The ''Seattle Post-Intelligencer'' (popularly known as the ''Seattle P-I'', the ''Post-Intelligencer'', or simply the ''P-I'') is an online newspaper and former print newspaper based in Seattle, Washington, United States. The newspaper was foun ...

'' * Norma Young, home economist and radio personality, writing for the ''Los Angeles Examiner'' In June 1963, a male writer, Hyman Goldberg, began to write the weekly column for the ''Mirror'' under the byline after the death of Vaudine Newell, publishing recipes that often contrasted with the principles of prudence and frugality, and which Time Magazine called "intent on turning dinner into a binge". According to Goldberg, at the time there were only three other "Prudence Penny" still published under the byline, although there had once been 30 of them.

References

{{reflist Pseudonymous women writers