Dorothy Storck Papers, 1927-2015

  • IdentificationMidwest MS Storck
  • TitleInventory of the Dorothy Storck Papers, 1927-2015, bulk 1965-2008 Midwest.MS.Storck
  • PublisherThe Newberry Library - Modern Manuscripts
  • RepositoryThe Newberry Library - Modern Manuscripts
  • Physical Description10.9 linear feet (4 boxes, 4 oversize boxes, and 1 oversize framed item)
  • Date
    • Bulk, 1965-2008
    • 1927-2015
  • Location1 39 1; 1 43 5
  • AbstractClippings, biographical material, other unpublished writings and drafts, research files, correspondence, awards, photographs, and some audio cassettes of the journalist Dorothy Storck. Storck had a long tenure as a journalist and worked for Chicago American which became Chicago Today from 1965-1974 and then at the Philadelphia Inquirer until 1989. The majority of clippings in the collection come from these newspapers, but includes some articles that she wrote for other news services starting in 1989.
  • OriginationStorck, Dorothy

Gift, Don Storck and Dick Simpson, 2016.

The Dorothy Storck Papers are open for research in the Special Collections Reading Room; 1 box at a time (Priority III).

The Dorothy Storck Papers are the physical property of the Newberry Library. Copyright may belong to the authors or their legal heirs or assigns. For permission to publish or reproduce any materials from this collection, contact the Roger and Julie Baskes Department of Special Collections.

Dorothy Storck Papers, The Newberry Library, Chicago.

American journalist, columnist, and feature writer.

Dorothy Storck was born in 1927 in Buffalo, New York. She attended Barnard College of Columbia University and after finishing her degree in English Literature in 1951, she entered the military. Storck’s father, Donald George Storck, had served in World War II as a Colonel and commanded the Army Air Corps Officers Candidate School. Dorothy Storck began her military career as part of the U.S. Marine Corps, but left to join the Air Force that same year. She remained with the Air Force, achieving the rank of major, until 1965 when she took a job as a national reporter at the Chicago American. Thus began her career in journalism.

She stayed on as a national reporter as the Chicago American became Chicago Today (owned by the Chicago Tribune), until 1974. During her tenure at the Chicago American and Chicago Today, Dorothy covered the Detroit Riots in 1967 and as result, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. In 1974, Storck joined the staff of the Philadelphia Inquirer as a national reporter, feature writer, and columnist. The columns she produced on lifestyle, society, and personal musings were distributed to around 250 newspapers from 1976-1987. While at the Inquirer, Dorothy Storck was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for foreign reporting in 1976. She was also awarded the Overseas Press Club award in 1976 for her series on Americans imprisoned in Mexican prisons. In 1979, Dorothy and the other staff of the Inquirer were awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service to commemorate their reporting on the Three Mile Island Accident. Storck was again a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 1984, this time for commentary.

Storck left the Philadelphia Inquirer and moved to London in 1989 and wrote on British politics and living in London. These articles were distributed by the Knight Ridder News Service. In 1991, Storck moved back to Chicago. While she originally intended to retire at this point in her career, she instead wrote travel articles. These travel articles appeared in the Chicago Sun Times and were distributed by the Copley News Service.

Dorothy Storck met her fiancé, Dick Simpson, in 2006. Dick Simpson is a former alderman and professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Simpson is also a writer and writes on political reform. They remained engaged until Dorothy’s death in 2015 at the age of 88.

Clippings, biographical material, other writings and drafts, research files, correspondence, awards, photographs, and some audio cassettes.

The largest series is her clippings. Due to the varying size of newspaper clippings, the materials are organized by size, and therein chronologically. The clippings include her writings for the Chicago American, Chicago Today, Philadelphia Inquirer, the articles she wrote while living in London, and travel articles. Some of the topics covered include the Vietnam War, the 1968 and 1972 elections, reproductive rights and women’s rights, Apollo 11, 12, and 13, and politics during Margaret Thatcher’s tenure.

Papers arranged by size and chronologically therein.

  • Names
    • Chicago Observer.
    • Chicago sun-times.
    • Chicago Tribune (Firm).
    • Fitzpatrick, Tom
    • Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News (Firm).
    • Royko, Mike, 1932-1997
    • Simpson, Dick W.
    • Storck, Dorothy
  • Subject
    • Chicago
    • Journalism
    • Journalists--Political and social views
    • Manuscripts, American -- Illinois -- Chicago
    • Women
    • Women journalists
    • Women journalists--Travel
    • Women's rights