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{{Short description|American writer and journalist}}
{{Short description|American writer and journalist (1951–2022)}}
{{Use mdy dates}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{Infobox person
⚫
'''Robin Herman''' (November 24, 1951 – February 1, 2022) was an American writer and journalist. She was the first female [[Sports journalism|sports journalist]] for ''[[The New York Times]]''.
| birth_date = {{birth date|1951|11|24}}
| birth_place = [[New York City, New York]], U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2022|2|1|1951|11|24}}
| alma_mater = [[Princeton University]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])
| death_place = [[Waltham, Massachusetts]], U.S.
| spouse = Paul Horvitz
| children = 2
}}
⚫
'''Robin Cathy Herman''' (November 24, 1951 – February 1, 2022) was an American writer and journalist. She was the first female [[Sports journalism|sports journalist]] for ''[[The New York Times]]''.


Herman had a successful and eclectic career, ranging from sports writing to assistant dean of communications for [[Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health|Harvard school of Public Health]]. She was a writer for ''The New York Times'' and ''[[The Washington Post]]'' and taught at [[Harvard University|Harvard]], and published books on [[renewable energy]], as well as the need for [[gender equality]].
Herman had a successful and eclectic career, ranging from sports writing to assistant dean of communications for [[Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health|Harvard school of Public Health]], where she also taught. She also wrote about health and medicine for ''[[The Washington Post]]'' and about women's issues on [[Twitter]] and in a personal blog, and she published a book on [[renewable energy]].


== Early life ==
== Early life and education ==
Herman was born in [[New York City]] on November 24, 1951.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news|last=Sandomir|first=Richard|date=2022-02-03|title=Robin Herman, Who Pried Open Doors in the N.H.L., Dies at 70|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/02/sports/hockey/robin-herman-dead.html|access-date=2022-02-03|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> She grew up in [[Port Washington, New York|Port Washington]], [[Long Island]], [[New York (state)|New York]].<ref>{{Cite book|title = Dictionary of Women Worldwide: 25,000 Women Through the Ages|publisher = Gale|year = 2007|isbn = 978-0-7876-9394-7|pages = 866}}</ref> She was among the first class of women enrolled in [[Princeton University]] in 1969. Herman graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English in 1973, [[Latin honors|Magna Cum Laude]] in the first graduating class of women in Princeton history.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://awsmonline.org/robin-herman-named-2015-mary-garber-pioneer-award-winner/|title=Robin Herman named 2015 Mary Garber Pioneer Award winner|last=Lenzi|first=Rachel|date=26 December 2014|access-date=6 April 2015|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170302005238/http://awsmonline.org/robin-herman-named-2015-mary-garber-pioneer-award-winner/|archivedate=March 2, 2017}}</ref><ref name=":4" /> She was the first female staffer of ''[[The Daily Princetonian]]'' during her time at the university. She started out covering men's [[Rugby football|rugby]] and went on to become the paper’s first female sports editor and later a [[managing editor]].<ref name=":0" />
Herman was born in [[New York City]] on November 24, 1951.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news|last=Sandomir|first=Richard|date=February 3, 2022|title=Robin Herman, Who Pried Open Doors in the N.H.L., Dies at 70|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/02/sports/hockey/robin-herman-dead.html|access-date=February 3, 2022|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> She grew up in [[Port Washington, New York|Port Washington]], [[Long Island]], [[New York (state)|New York]].<ref>{{Cite book|title = Dictionary of Women Worldwide: 25,000 Women Through the Ages|publisher = Gale|year = 2007|isbn = 978-0-7876-9394-7|pages = 866}}</ref> She was among the first class of women enrolled in [[Princeton University]] in 1969. Herman graduated with a bachelor's degree in English in 1973, a member of the first graduating class of women in Princeton history.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://awsmonline.org/robin-herman-named-2015-mary-garber-pioneer-award-winner/|title=Robin Herman named 2015 Mary Garber Pioneer Award winner|last=Lenzi|first=Rachel|date=December 26, 2014|access-date=April 6, 2015|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170302005238/http://awsmonline.org/robin-herman-named-2015-mary-garber-pioneer-award-winner/|archivedate=March 2, 2017}}</ref><ref name=":4" /> During her time at Princeton, she was the only female staffer of ''[[The Daily Princetonian]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Frist Campus Center Iconography|url=https://www.princeton.edu/frist/iconography/p76.shtml|access-date=February 8, 2022|website=www.princeton.edu}}</ref> She was initially assigned to news, but after confronting the sports editor, she covered men's [[Rugby football|rugby]]. She later became their first female sports editor, then a [[managing editor]].<ref name=":0" />


== Career ==
== Career ==
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=== 1975 NHL All-Star Game ===
=== 1975 NHL All-Star Game ===
{{Anchor|Marcelle St. Cyr}}
Robin Herman and Marcel St. Cyr became the first women allowed in a men's professional [[Changing room|locker room]] on January 21, 1975, at the [[28th National Hockey League All-Star Game|1975 NHL All-Star Game]] in [[Montreal, Canada]]. While the [[Eastern Conference (NHL)|Wales]] All-Star team easily beat the [[Western Conference (NHL)|Campbell Conference]] All-Star Game 7–1,<ref>{{cite web |title=NHL All-Star Game Historical Summaries - 1975 |url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=28942 |publisher=[[National Hockey League]] |access-date=7 February 2022 |date=January 21, 1975}}</ref> Robin and Marcel instantly became the news, and television cameras focused on them instead. Despite Herman's efforts to sway the attention to the game, the story focused on the women in the locker room.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/24/sports/hockey/24reporter.html?_r=0|title=In 1975, 2 Women Crossed a Barrier|last=Zinser|first=Lynn|date=23 January 2010|access-date=6 April 2010|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://slapshot.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/21/the-first-woman-through-the-locker-room-door-35-years-ago/|title=The First Woman Through the Locker Room Door, 35 Years Ago|last=Zinser|first=Lynn|date=21 January 2010|access-date=6 April 2015}}</ref>
Herman and Marcelle St. Cyr ([[CKLM]] radio in Montreal) became the first female reporters allowed in a men's professional sports [[Changing room|locker room]] on January 21, 1975, at the [[28th National Hockey League All-Star Game|1975 NHL All-Star Game]] in [[Montreal, Canada]]. While the [[Eastern Conference (NHL)|Wales Conference]] all-star team easily beat the [[Western Conference (NHL)|Campbell Conference]] all-star team 7–1,<ref>{{cite web |title=NHL All-Star Game Historical Summaries - 1975 |url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=28942 |publisher=[[National Hockey League]] |access-date=February 7, 2022 |date=January 21, 1975}}</ref> television cameras and other journalists instead focused on Herman's and St. Cyr's presence in the locker room, despite Herman's efforts to turn the attention back to the game.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/24/sports/hockey/24reporter.html?_r=0|title=In 1975, 2 Women Crossed a Barrier|last=Zinser|first=Lynn|date=January 23, 2010|access-date=April 6, 2010|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://slapshot.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/21/the-first-woman-through-the-locker-room-door-35-years-ago/|title=The First Woman Through the Locker Room Door, 35 Years Ago|last=Zinser|first=Lynn|date=January 21, 2010|access-date=April 6, 2015}}</ref>

“Breaking the locker room barrier” was seen as a symbolic assault on traditional [[male privilege]] and power. As the only female member of the [[Professional Hockey Writers' Association|Professional Hockey Writers Association]] at the time, Herman stared down intimidation and eventually pried open the locker rooms of all but four NHL teams before leaving sports for [[Political journalism|political coverage]] in 1979.<ref name=":0" />


=== Other journalism ===
=== Other journalism ===
In 1978, Herman left sports writing to become a political reporter for ''The New York Times''. She was a political reporter for ''The Times'' for five years. In 1991 she wrote for ''The Washington Post'' and covered issues relating to health and medical fields.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=http://www.wimnonline.org/WIMNsVoicesBlog/?author=24&profile#bio|title=Robin Herman's Biography|date=1 October 2013|access-date=6 April 2015|website=Women In Media & News|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110923110313/http://www.wimnonline.org/WIMNsVoicesBlog/?author=24&profile#bio|archivedate=September 23, 2011}}</ref>
Herman, the only female member of the [[Professional Hockey Writers' Association|Professional Hockey Writers Association]] during her sports writing career, gained access to all but four NHL team locker rooms over four years.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="LegacyObit"/> She moved to New York [[Political journalism|political coverage]] for ''The Times'' for five years, until she left the paper in 1983.<ref name=":4" /> In 1991, she wrote for ''The Washington Post'' and covered issues relating to health and medical fields.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=http://www.wimnonline.org/WIMNsVoicesBlog/?author=24&profile#bio|title=Robin Herman's Biography|date=October 1, 2013|access-date=April 6, 2015|website=Women In Media & News|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110923110313/http://www.wimnonline.org/WIMNsVoicesBlog/?author=24&profile#bio|archivedate=September 23, 2011}}</ref>


=== Harvard ===
=== Harvard ===
In 1999, Herman was appointed as director of [[Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health]]'s office of communications. In 2006, she became the Assistant Dean of Communications and would hold this position for four years.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2006/02/herman-is-assistant-dean-for-communications-at-hsph/|title=Herman is assistant dean for communications at HSPH|date=2 February 2006|access-date=6 April 2015}}</ref> According to the school's dean Barry Bloom, "Robin has provided an extraordinary level of service to the School community."<ref name=":3" />
In 1999, Herman was appointed as director of [[Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health]]'s office of communications. In 2006, she became the assistant dean of communications and remained in the position for four years. She additionally co-taught a [[health communication]]s course at the school.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2006/02/herman-is-assistant-dean-for-communications-at-hsph/|title=Herman is assistant dean for communications at HSPH|date=February 2, 2006|access-date=April 6, 2015}}</ref><ref name="LegacyObit"/>


=== Art ===
=== Art ===
After 13 years at Harvard, Herman established a career in fine arts, painting in watercolor, acrylic and pastel.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Robin Herman Art|url=https://www.facebook.com/RobinHermanArt/|access-date=2022-02-03|website=Facebook|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=ROBIN C. HERMAN|work=[[The Boston Globe]]|url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/bostonglobe/name/robin-herman-obituary?id=32636964|access-date=2022-02-03|via=[[Legacy.com]]}}</ref>
After 13 years at Harvard, Herman established a career in fine arts, painting in watercolor, acrylic and pastel.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Robin Herman Art|url=https://www.facebook.com/RobinHermanArt/|access-date=February 3, 2022|website=Facebook|language=en}}</ref><ref name="LegacyObit">{{Cite news|title=ROBIN C. HERMAN|work=[[The Boston Globe]]|url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/bostonglobe/name/robin-herman-obituary?id=32636964|access-date=February 3, 2022|via=[[Legacy.com]]}}</ref>


== Political views ==
== Political views ==
Aside from writing for the ''Times'' as a political writer for five years, Herman wrote about women’s issues, including sports, on Twitter @girlinthelocker and a website www.girlinthelockerroom.com.<ref name=":0" /> She stated that her idea for the [[blog]] started when [[George W. Bush]] ran for re-election in 2004. She said: "I felt that women's rights and integrity were being undermined by the Bush administration and that younger women did not realize that their standing in society was being eroded." She felt her experience as a female sports journalist well represented the cause for equal opportunity in employment and other rights for women.<ref name=":0" />
Aside from writing for the ''Times'' as a political writer for five years, Herman wrote about women's issues, including in sports, on [[Twitter]] (@girlinthelocker) and in a blog on a personal website.<ref name=":0" /> She started the blog in response to [[George W. Bush]]'s [[George W. Bush 2004 presidential campaign|bid for re-election in 2004]]. She said: "I felt that women's rights and integrity were being undermined by the Bush administration and that younger women did not realize that their standing in society was being eroded." She felt her experience as a female sports journalist and the "girl in the locker room" well represented the cause for equal opportunity in employment and other rights for women.<ref name=":0" />


== Personal life and death ==
== Personal life ==
Herman was married to Paul Horvitz with whom she had a daughter and a son. She died of [[ovarian cancer]] at her home in [[Waltham, Massachusetts]] on February 1, 2022, at the age of 70.<ref name=":4" />
Herman was married to Paul Horvitz with whom she had a daughter and a son. She died of [[ovarian cancer]] at her home in [[Waltham, Massachusetts]] on February 1, 2022, at the age of 70.<ref name=":4" />


== Published works ==
== Published works ==
She wrote a [[history of science]] book ''Fusion: The Search for Endless Energy''. (Cambridge University Press, 1990).<ref name=":2" />
She wrote ''Fusion: The Search for Endless Energy'', a [[history of science]] book published by [[Cambridge University Press]] in 1990.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":4" />


== Awards and recognition ==
== Awards and recognition ==
Herman is the 17th winner of the Mary Garber Pioneer award, Association of Women in Sports Media's highest honor. The award goes to a person showing distinguished work in the sports media industry and commitment to upholding and advancing the values of AWSM.<ref name=":0" />
Herman won the [[Mary Garber]] Pioneer award, the highest honor of the Association of Women in Sports Media given in recognition of "distinguished work in the sports media industry and commitment to upholding and advancing the values of AWSM".<ref name=":0" />


She is mentioned in the 2013 documentary ''Let Them Wear Towels''. The documentary details the struggles of those who first sought to enter the all-male locker rooms in various professional sports leagues. It is part of the series of documentaries produced by [[ESPN Films]] entitled ''[[Nine for IX]]''.<ref name=":4"/> The series focuses on women in sports and is told through the lens of female [[Filmmaking|film makers]].<ref name = "Press Release">{{cite web|url=https://espnpressroom.com/us/press-releases/2013/02/espn-films-and-espnw-announce-nine-for-ix/|title=ESPN Films and espnW Announce Nine for IX|last=Cingari|first=Jennifer|date=February 19, 2013|access-date=February 7, 2022}}</ref>
She is mentioned in the 2013 documentary ''Let Them Wear Towels''. The documentary details the struggles of those women who first sought to enter the male locker rooms in various professional sports leagues. It is part of the series of documentaries produced by [[ESPN Films]] entitled ''[[Nine for IX]]''.<ref name=":4"/> The series focuses on women in sports and is told through the lens of female [[Filmmaking|film makers]].<ref name = "Press Release">{{cite web|url=https://espnpressroom.com/us/press-releases/2013/02/espn-films-and-espnw-announce-nine-for-ix/|title=ESPN Films and espnW Announce Nine for IX|last=Cingari|first=Jennifer|date=February 19, 2013|access-date=February 7, 2022}}</ref>


== References ==
== References ==
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[[Category:1951 births]]
[[Category:1951 births]]
[[Category:2022 deaths]]
[[Category:2022 deaths]]
[[Category:Deaths from ovarian cancer]]
[[Category:Deaths from ovarian cancer in the United States]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:People from Port Washington, New York]]
[[Category:People from Port Washington, New York]]

Latest revision as of 03:50, 24 March 2024

Robin Herman
Born(1951-11-24)November 24, 1951
New York City, New York, U.S.
DiedFebruary 1, 2022(2022-02-01) (aged 70)
Waltham, Massachusetts, U.S.
Alma materPrinceton University (BA)
SpousePaul Horvitz
Children2

Robin Cathy Herman (November 24, 1951 – February 1, 2022) was an American writer and journalist. She was the first female sports journalist for The New York Times.

Herman had a successful and eclectic career, ranging from sports writing to assistant dean of communications for Harvard school of Public Health, where she also taught. She also wrote about health and medicine for The Washington Post and about women's issues on Twitter and in a personal blog, and she published a book on renewable energy.

Early life and education[edit]

Herman was born in New York City on November 24, 1951.[1] She grew up in Port Washington, Long Island, New York.[2] She was among the first class of women enrolled in Princeton University in 1969. Herman graduated with a bachelor's degree in English in 1973, a member of the first graduating class of women in Princeton history.[3][1] During her time at Princeton, she was the only female staffer of The Daily Princetonian.[4] She was initially assigned to news, but after confronting the sports editor, she covered men's rugby. She later became their first female sports editor, then a managing editor.[3]

Career[edit]

Herman became the first female sportswriter in the history of The New York Times upon graduation in 1973.[3]

1975 NHL All-Star Game[edit]

Herman and Marcelle St. Cyr (CKLM radio in Montreal) became the first female reporters allowed in a men's professional sports locker room on January 21, 1975, at the 1975 NHL All-Star Game in Montreal, Canada. While the Wales Conference all-star team easily beat the Campbell Conference all-star team 7–1,[5] television cameras and other journalists instead focused on Herman's and St. Cyr's presence in the locker room, despite Herman's efforts to turn the attention back to the game.[6][7]

Other journalism[edit]

Herman, the only female member of the Professional Hockey Writers Association during her sports writing career, gained access to all but four NHL team locker rooms over four years.[3][8] She moved to New York political coverage for The Times for five years, until she left the paper in 1983.[1] In 1991, she wrote for The Washington Post and covered issues relating to health and medical fields.[9]

Harvard[edit]

In 1999, Herman was appointed as director of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health's office of communications. In 2006, she became the assistant dean of communications and remained in the position for four years. She additionally co-taught a health communications course at the school.[10][8]

Art[edit]

After 13 years at Harvard, Herman established a career in fine arts, painting in watercolor, acrylic and pastel.[11][8]

Political views[edit]

Aside from writing for the Times as a political writer for five years, Herman wrote about women's issues, including in sports, on Twitter (@girlinthelocker) and in a blog on a personal website.[3] She started the blog in response to George W. Bush's bid for re-election in 2004. She said: "I felt that women's rights and integrity were being undermined by the Bush administration and that younger women did not realize that their standing in society was being eroded." She felt her experience as a female sports journalist and the "girl in the locker room" well represented the cause for equal opportunity in employment and other rights for women.[3]

Personal life[edit]

Herman was married to Paul Horvitz with whom she had a daughter and a son. She died of ovarian cancer at her home in Waltham, Massachusetts on February 1, 2022, at the age of 70.[1]

Published works[edit]

She wrote Fusion: The Search for Endless Energy, a history of science book published by Cambridge University Press in 1990.[9][1]

Awards and recognition[edit]

Herman won the Mary Garber Pioneer award, the highest honor of the Association of Women in Sports Media given in recognition of "distinguished work in the sports media industry and commitment to upholding and advancing the values of AWSM".[3]

She is mentioned in the 2013 documentary Let Them Wear Towels. The documentary details the struggles of those women who first sought to enter the male locker rooms in various professional sports leagues. It is part of the series of documentaries produced by ESPN Films entitled Nine for IX.[1] The series focuses on women in sports and is told through the lens of female film makers.[12]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f Sandomir, Richard (February 3, 2022). "Robin Herman, Who Pried Open Doors in the N.H.L., Dies at 70". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  2. ^ Dictionary of Women Worldwide: 25,000 Women Through the Ages. Gale. 2007. p. 866. ISBN 978-0-7876-9394-7.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Lenzi, Rachel (December 26, 2014). "Robin Herman named 2015 Mary Garber Pioneer Award winner". Archived from the original on March 2, 2017. Retrieved April 6, 2015.
  4. ^ "Frist Campus Center Iconography". www.princeton.edu. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  5. ^ "NHL All-Star Game Historical Summaries - 1975". National Hockey League. January 21, 1975. Retrieved February 7, 2022.
  6. ^ Zinser, Lynn (January 23, 2010). "In 1975, 2 Women Crossed a Barrier". The New York Times. Retrieved April 6, 2010.
  7. ^ Zinser, Lynn (January 21, 2010). "The First Woman Through the Locker Room Door, 35 Years Ago". Retrieved April 6, 2015.
  8. ^ a b c "ROBIN C. HERMAN". The Boston Globe. Retrieved February 3, 2022 – via Legacy.com.
  9. ^ a b "Robin Herman's Biography". Women In Media & News. October 1, 2013. Archived from the original on September 23, 2011. Retrieved April 6, 2015.
  10. ^ "Herman is assistant dean for communications at HSPH". February 2, 2006. Retrieved April 6, 2015.
  11. ^ "Robin Herman Art". Facebook. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  12. ^ Cingari, Jennifer (February 19, 2013). "ESPN Films and espnW Announce Nine for IX". Retrieved February 7, 2022.
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