Helen M. Stevick
Helen M. Stevick (1889-1967) was born in Rochester, Indiana and married David Stevick in Poplar Bluff, Missouri in 1910. When David resigned from his job at the Bloomington Bulletin, the couple moved to Champaign. Helen was involved with the paper from its inception and got her start by selling subscriptions. After a return from Texarkana, where David was running The Texarkana Gazette-News, David continued his role as President of the News-Gazette, and Helen stepped into the role of Secretary-Treasurer.
Helen took over as President and Publisher of The News-Gazette following her husband’s death in 1935. She served in that capacity for over three decades. As the President of a successful paper, she did not believe in resting on her laurels. When the paper celebrated its 100th year of service in 1952, Helen emphasized to readers that the paper would not simply stay the same as it was. It would continue to improve and evolve along with the community it served.
In 1937, Helen and Marajen fulfilled one of the projects David started before his death. The WDWS-AM radio station (cleverly using David’s initials), went live, and is still in existence today. WDWS brought St. Louis Cardinals baseball games to Champaign for the first time.
When she wasn’t working, Helen often participated in one of her favorite pastimes, traveling. Some of the places she often visited included California and Texas, where she enjoyed friendships with several celebrities.
