Chicago Tribune Magazine Gives Associate Editor Jean Rudolph Scott '79 a Warm Send-Off

March 30, 2004

March 30, 2004, Greencastle, Ind. - Jean Rudolph Scott, "the granddaughter of a newspaper publisher [and] editor of her college (DePauw University) newspaper, grew up in this world of words and stories in the small town of Macomb, Illinois, where readers would knock on the front door with problems and ideas. Since I have known her, Jean has always been someone who thought about readers," wrote her colleague, Elizabeth Taylor in Sunday's Chicago Tribune Magazine, which Scott, a 1979 DePauw graduate, has been associate editor of for three years. "When we debate headlines on cover stories, she is the one who asks: 'But does this give too much suspense away?' 'Is this too subtle? Too ironic?' "Are we clear enough with readers?'"

In her weekly letter to readers, which appears in the "About This Issue" section of the magazine, Taylor, the editor of the magazine, discloses, "Jean is leaving -- for just a while, I hope -- for personal reasons. Usually this phrase has an ominous ring, and she would never let me get away with lack of clarity. So I am confident in sharing the great news that Jean and her husband, Paul Scott, are bound for China where a baby girl awaits. Her name is Lily."

Taylor notes that Scott, "gave the Magazine its final read, combing through copy, eager to address any question about punctuation, fact, nuance and, yes, the big picture. She edited our In-box page, selecting our weekly letters to the editor. And this is the last time, at least for a while, Jean will edit this little letter... I'd better scamper and let Jean read this letter. As a pal of mine says, 'A girl's best friend is a deadline.' Actually, it's her editor."

You can access the piece at the Tribune's Web site (a free registration is required) by clicking here.

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