Pauline Phillips
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Pauline Esther "Popo" Phillips (born Friedman; July 4, 1918 – January 16, 2013), also known as Abigail Van Buren, was an American advice columnist and radio show host who began the well-known ''
Dear Abby Dear Abby is an American advice column founded in 1956 by Pauline Phillips under the pen name "Abigail Van Buren" and carried on today by her daughter, Jeanne Phillips, who now owns the legal rights to the pen name. History According to Pauline ...
'' newspaper column in 1956. It became the most widely syndicated newspaper column in the world, syndicated in 1,400 newspapers with 110 million readers. From 1963 to 1975, Phillips also hosted a daily ''Dear Abby'' program on CBS Radio. TV anchorwoman
Diane Sawyer Lila Diane Sawyer (; born December 22, 1945) is an American television broadcast journalist known for anchoring major programs on two networks including ''ABC World News Tonight'', '' Good Morning America'', ''20/20'', and '' Primetime'' newsmag ...
calls her the "pioneering queen of salty advice". She was also the paternal step-grandmother of U.S. Congressman Dean Phillips.


Early life

Pauline Friedman, nicknamed "Popo", was born in
Sioux City, Iowa Sioux City () is a city in Woodbury and Plymouth counties in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 85,797 in the 2020 census, making it the fourth-largest city in Iowa. The bulk of the city is in Woodbury County, ...
, to Russian Jewish immigrants Rebecca (née Rushall) and Abraham B. Friedman, owner of a chain of movie theaters. She was the youngest of four sisters and grew up in Sioux City. Her identical twin Esther Pauline Friedman (married name Lederer) was columnist
Ann Landers Ann Landers was a pen name created by ''Chicago Sun-Times'' advice columnist Ruth Crowley in 1943 and taken over by Esther Pauline "Eppie" Lederer (July 4, 1918 – June 22, 2002) in 1955. For 56 years, the Ask Ann Landers syndicated ad ...
. Lederer had become Ann Landers in 1955, and Phillips soon followed suit by launching her own advice column. Phillips graduated from Central High School in Sioux City and
Morningside College Morningside University is a private university affiliated with the United Methodist Church and located in Sioux City, Iowa. Founded in 1894 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, Morningside University has 21 buildings on a campus in Sioux City (ar ...
, where she studied journalism and psychology. She and her twin sister wrote a joint gossip column for the college newspaper. They were married in a double wedding ceremony on July 2, 1939, two days before their 21st birthday. Pauline married Morton Phillips of
Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
, and had son Edward and daughter Jeanne.


Career

Phillips' writing career began in January 1956 when she was 37 and new to the San Francisco area. She phoned the editor of the ''San Francisco Chronicle'' and said that she could write a better advice column than the one that she had been reading in the newspaper. After hearing her modest credentials, editor Stanleigh Arnold gave her some letters in need of answers and told her to bring back her replies in a week; Phillips got her replies back to the ''Chronicle'' in an hour and a half. In an interview with
Larry King Larry King (born Lawrence Harvey Zeiger; November 19, 1933 – January 23, 2021) was an American television and radio host, whose awards included 2 Peabodys The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program ...
, she said that she had no work experience, lacking even a social security number. The editor, however, asked if she was a professional writer. He said that her writing was "fabulous', and she was hired that day. She went by the pen name
Abigail Van Buren Dear Abby is an American advice column founded in 1956 by Pauline Phillips under the pen name "Abigail Van Buren" and carried on today by her daughter, Jeanne Phillips, who now owns the legal rights to the pen name. History According to Paulin ...
, combining the
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prophetess from 1 Samuel with President
Martin Van Buren Martin Van Buren ( ; nl, Maarten van Buren; ; December 5, 1782 – July 24, 1862) was an American lawyer and statesman who served as the eighth president of the United States from 1837 to 1841. A primary founder of the Democratic Party (Uni ...
. Her twin sister was the author of the Ann Landers column, and the competition created acrimony between them for many years. In 1956, Phillips offered her column to the ''
Sioux City Journal The ''Sioux City Journal'' is the daily newspaper and website of Sioux City, Iowa. Founded in 1864, the publication now covers northwestern Iowa and portions of Nebraska and South Dakota. The Journal has won numerous state, regional and nation ...
'' at a reduced price, provided that the paper refuse to print her sister's column. The sisters ostensibly reconciled in 1964 but remained competitors. They became "the most widely read and most quoted women in the world" in 1958, according to ''Life'' magazine.''Life'' magazine, April 7, 1958 pp. 102–112


Writing style

Newspapers had included gossip and personal columnists for more than a century, but the two sisters added "something special", according to ''Life'', in that they were the first to publish letters and replies covering a wide range of personal problems, replying with "vaudeville punch lines" rooted in common sense. The editor of the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' described their skill as "beyond mere shrewdness—a quality very close to genuine wisdom." Phillips stated that she did not publish the most sensitive letters that she received, but instead replied to them individually. Sometimes she would write a brief note on the letter itself, letting one of her secretaries respond fully using her advice. If a person seemed suicidal from their letter, she would call them on the phone.


Personal life and beliefs

Phillips was considered "the embodiment of female orthodoxy." This attitude carried over into her column in the late 1950s, and she considered women "faintly ridiculous" if they were unable to make their marriages work. Her "code of conduct" was "husband and children first." In her later years, she did not avoid suggesting divorce when a relationship became "intolerable", and considered how a bad marriage might affect children: "When kids see parents fighting, or even sniping at each other, I think it is terribly damaging." Phillips supported gay rights, and Season 1, episode 8 of the
podcast A podcast is a program made available in digital format for download over the Internet. For example, an episodic series of digital audio or video files that a user can download to a personal device to listen to at a time of their choosing ...
Making Gay History ''Making Gay History'' is an oral history podcast on the subject of LGBT history, featuring trailblazers, activists, and allies. Most episodes draw on the three-decade-old audio archive of rare interviews that the podcast's founder and host Eric ...
” is about her. Both Phillips and her sister enjoyed socializing with celebrities, and because of their notoriety, celebrities liked being seen with either of them. Among Phillips' friends soon after she began her column were politicians, including Senators
Hubert Humphrey Hubert Horatio Humphrey Jr. (May 27, 1911 – January 13, 1978) was an American pharmacist and politician who served as the 38th vice president of the United States from 1965 to 1969. He twice served in the United States Senate, representing Mi ...
and
Herbert Lehman Herbert Henry Lehman (March 28, 1878 – December 5, 1963) was an American Democratic Party politician from New York. He served from 1933 until 1942 as the 45th governor of New York and represented New York State in the U.S. Senate from 1949 ...
; and entertainers, including
Jerry Lewis Jerry Lewis (born Joseph Levitch; March 16, 1926 – August 20, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, singer, filmmaker and humanitarian. As his contributions to comedy and charity made him a global figure in popular culture, pop culture ...
and
Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor and comedian. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin was nicknamed "The King of Cool". M ...
. They also admired Bishop
Fulton Sheen Fulton John Sheen (born Peter John Sheen, May 8, 1895 – December 9, 1979) was an American bishop of the Catholic Church known for his preaching and especially his work on Catholic television, television and radio. Ordained a priest of the R ...
, whom they met when learning about Catholicism while studying about other religions. The bishop admired them both in return due to their ability to remain "unawed" and unaffected by the fame of others. Phillips was Jewish, and she commented: "He's one of the greatest men I ever met, but he'll be a Jew before I'm a Catholic." Phillips was an honorary member of
Women in Communications The Association for Women in Communications (AWC) is an American professional organization for women in the communications industry. History Theta Sigma Phi The Association for Women in Communications began in 1909 as Theta Sigma Phi (), an ho ...
, the
American College of Psychiatrists The American College of Psychiatrists is an American association of psychiatrists based in Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates ...
, and the
National Council of Jewish Women The National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization. Founded in 1893, NCJW is self-described as the oldest Jewish women’s grassroots organization in the United States, now comprised by over 180,000 members. As of ...
. Her columns were collected in ''Dear Abby'', ''Dear Teenager'', ''Dear Abby on Marriage'', ''Where Were You When President Kennedy was Shot?'', ''The Dear Abby Wedding Planner'', and ''The Best of Dear Abby''.Universal Press Syndicate historical files. She said that writing is "only work if you'd rather be doing something else." She co-wrote the column with her daughter Jeanne from 1987 until her retirement. In 2002, Phillips'
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 ...
made it impossible for her to continue writing, and Jeanne assumed all the writing responsibilities of ''Dear Abby''.


Death

Phillips died on January 16, 2013 at age 94, after battling Alzheimer's for 11 years. She was survived by her husband of 73 years Morton Phillips, daughter Jeanne Phillips, four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Her son, Edward, had died two years prior.


Bibliography


Books about Dear Abby

* (Children's book). *


Books by Abigail Van Buren

* ''Dear Abby''. Illustrated by Carl Rose. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall,
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* ''Dear teen-ager''. Illustrated by Roy Doty. ew York B. Geis Associates; distributed by Random House
959 Year 959 ( CMLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * April - May – The Byzantines refuse to pay the yearly tribute. A Hungari ...
* ''Dear Abby on marriage''. New York: McGraw-Hill,
962 Year 962 ( CMLXII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * December – Arab–Byzantine wars – Sack of Aleppo: A Byzantine e ...
* ''The Best of Dear Abby''. Kansas City: Andrews and McMeel, 1981. ; 081613362X (lg. print.) * ''Dear Abby on planning your wedding''. Andrews and McMeel, c1988. . * ''Where were you when President Kennedy was shot?: memories and tributes to a slain president as told to Dear Abby''. Foreword by Pierre Salinger. Andrews and McMeel, c. 1993. .


See also

*
List of newspaper columnists This is a list of notable newspaper columnists. It does not include magazine or electronic columnists. English-language Australia * Phillip Adams (born 1939), ''The Australian'' * Piers Akerman (born 1950), ''The Daily Telegraph'' * Janet Al ...
*
Poisoned candy scare Poisoned candy myths are urban legends about malevolent strangers intentionally hiding poisons, drugs, or sharp objects such as razor blades, needles, or broken glass in candy and distributing the candy in order to harm random children, especi ...


References


External links


Dear Abby
official website
"Abigail Van Buren 1918–2013"
(March 20, 2009) by Robin Judd, ''Jewish Women: A Comprehensive Historical Encyclopedia'', Jewish Women's Archive (jwa.org) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Phillips, Pauline American advice columnists Jewish advice columnists American women columnists Jewish American writers Jewish women writers 20th-century American journalists Journalists from Iowa Journalists from California Writers from Sioux City, Iowa Pseudonymous women writers People from Beverly Hills, California American people of Russian-Jewish descent American twins Identical twins Neurological disease deaths in Minnesota Deaths from Alzheimer's disease 1918 births 2013 deaths 20th-century American women 20th-century pseudonymous writers 21st-century American Jews 21st-century American women