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Editor Era Bell Thompson: Iowa Time Machine August 10, 1905

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Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 10, 1905, Era Bell Thompson, the glass ceiling-breaking editor of Ebony Magazine, was born in Des Moines. As a graduate of Morningside University in Sioux City, Thompson’s literary career included articles, memoirs, and other nonfiction works.


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After spending her first nine years in Iowa’s capital city, Thompson moved with her family to a homestead near Driscoll, North Dakota, where her father tried his hand at farming. Eventually, the family settled in Bismarck, North Dakota, where Thompson graduated from Bismarck High.


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For two years, Thompson attended the University of North Dakota, where she honed her journalism skills while setting school records in track and field. A bout with pleurisy ended her track career and left her without a scholarship. Following a short stint in Chicago working her first magazine job, Thompson returned to Iowa, where she obtained a BA from Sioux City’s Morningside College.


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Post-graduation, Thompson headed back to the Windy City and earned a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern. Her autobiography, “American Daughter,” drew critical acclaim, and Thompson found a home at Ebony Magazine, where she helped to develop the important publication’s direction over a four-decade career. #IowaOTD #IowaHistoryDaily #IowaHistoryCalendar


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© 2025 by Kevin T. Mason & Notes on Iowa

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