{{Short description|American journalist and publisher}} {{Infobox person | name =Pat Gish | image =Pat Gish, Savvy Magazine, June 1980.jpeg | alt = | caption = | birth_name =Patricia Ann Burnett | birth_date = {{Birth date|1927|01|11}} | birth_place = Paris, Kentucky | death_date = {{Death date and age|2014|04|13|1927|01|11}} | death_place = Whitesburg, Kentucky | other_names = | occupation = Newspaper reporter, editor and publisher; rural housing developer | years_active = 1947–2001 | known_for = Rural housing activism | notable_works = ''The Mountain Eagle'', Eastern Kentucky Housing Development Corporation | spouse = Tom Gish (married 1948–2008 (his death)) | awards = {{Plain list| * Hugh M. Hefner First Amendment Award, 1983 * Joe A. Calloway Award for Civic Service, 1991 * Environmental Policy Institute's Recognition for Coverage of Coalfields Issues, 1987 * Pat and Tom Gish Award, 2005 }} }} '''Pat Gish''' (January 11, 1927 – April 13, 2014) was an American journalist, publisher and co-editor of the Whitesburg, Kentucky newspaper ''The Mountain Eagle'', along with her husband, Tom Gish. The Gishes led ''The Mountain Eagle'' in covering controversial topics such as the effects of strip mining on the Appalachian environment and political corruption. Under the Gishes' guidance, ''The Mountain Eagle'' became a prominent rural newspaper, and the pair won many awards for their journalism. Gish also founded the Eastern Kentucky Housing Development Corporation and worked to improve living conditions in Eastern Kentucky.
==Early life and education== Gish was born Patricia Ann Burnett in Paris, Kentucky, to Georgia and Elmer Burnett.<ref name="ency">{{Cite book|title=Encyclopedia of Appalachia|last1=Abramson|first1=Rudy|last2=Haskell|first2=Jean|year=2006|publisher=University of Tennessee Press|isbn=9781572334564|oclc=493756965}}</ref> She began working in journalism early; she had her first job at age thirteen working as a proof reader for a small daily newspaper in Danville, Illinois. Gish later moved to Lexington, Kentucky and graduated from Lafayette High School and later studied journalism at the University of Kentucky. While in college, Gish worked with her campus newspaper ''The Kentucky Kernel'' and met her future husband, Tom. In addition to serving as editor of The Kernel, she worked part-time as a proofreader for the afternoon ''Lexington Leader'', which merged into the ''Lexington Herald-Leader'' in 1984. Gish worked full- or part-time with the Lexington Leader between the ages of 15, when she was accepted the job as proofreader, and 30, when she left her job as assignment reporter to enter the weekly newspaper business. She married Tom Gish in Lexington in 1948 and graduated from college in 1949.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Encyclopedia of Appalachia|last=Abramson|first=Rudy|publisher=The University of Tennessee Press|year=2006|isbn=1-57233-456-8|location=Knoxville|pages=1713–1714}}</ref> In 1970, Gish acquired a Masters of Science in Community Development from the University of Louisville.
==''The Mountain Eagle''== Pat and Tom Gish bought ''The Mountain Eagle'' from Pearl and Martha Nolan in November 1956 and took over editing the paper, and published their first issue on January 1, 1957. They changed the paper's motto from "A Friendly Non-Partisan Weekly Newspaper Published Every Thursday," to "It Screams." Under their leadership, ''The Mountain Eagle'' for the first time reported on the inner workings of the Letcher County government, which often caused controversy within the community and friction between the paper and city government officials. They covered controversial regional issues, such as meetings of the local school board and fiscal court which were previously held behind closed doors, strip mining, and mine safety abuses in the Appalachian coal industry.<ref name="ency"/><ref name="Pat Gish, newswoman">{{cite web|last1=Bethell|first1=Thomas|title=Pat Gish, newswoman|url=http://www.themountaineagle.com/news/2014-04-16/Front_Page/Pat_Gish_newswoman.html|website=The Mountain Eagle}}</ref> They also covered stories on a wide range of problems, including corruption, poor education, inadequate housing and poverty, though Al Cross, director of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, said they were protective of their readers' dignity, refusing to run photos of poor people.
Their work reached both a regional and national audience, leading to changes in legislation and inspiring journalists and activists who supported the War on Poverty and increased environmental awareness. The Gishes' work often caused controversy within their community, prompting reactions from the public such as advertising boycotts and, in August 1974, a firebombing of their publication facilities.
It was discovered that a local police officer paid to have the building burned after ''The Mountain Eagle'' published an article addressing unfair treatment of local youths by the Letcher County police. Tom Gish also reported that he believed a local coal company contributed funds to the arson as well. In reaction to this incident, the Gishes changed the motto of the paper from "It Screams" to "It Still Screams."<ref name="kentucky">{{Cite news|url=http://www.kentucky.com/news/state/kentucky/article43983747.html|title=Letcher journalist was 'watchdog for the people'|work=kentucky|access-date=2017-03-04|language=en}}</ref>
The couple was also notable for publishing the works of opinion columnists, especially women opinion columnists, from other communities in Eastern Kentucky, including the writing of Mabel Kiser, Thelma Cornett, Siller Brown, Sarah Ison, Elsie Banks, and Gaynell Begley.
Although the couple worked as a team, Tom freely admitted that "without Pat, The Mountain Eagle would have gone under long ago."<ref name="Pat Gish, newswoman"/> Within The Mountain Eagle, Pat did most of the reporting, editing, and business aspects of the company. In addition to this work, she also was the "founder and director of a federally funded affordable housing initiative" "<ref name="Pat Gish, newswoman"/> This additional job required Pat to drive to Louisville on the weekends for two years to earn her Master's degree. On top of all that, Pat also was a full-time mother of five children. As stated by Mike Clark, a former Eagle staffer, she was the "best multi-tasking saint of an editor, housing expert, wife and mother I have ever known...How Pat balanced all those roles without sleep or peace or rest is beyond me."<ref name="Pat Gish, newswoman"/>
Pat and Tom were highly praised and respected for reporting "the real news, regardless of whether it was either profitable or popular — and despite considerable risk to both life and livelihood."<ref name="Pat Gish, newswoman"/> Throughout their career in journalism, the duo worked hand in hand to publish accurate and trustworthy news, "regardless of the consequences."<ref name="Pat Gish, newswoman"/>
==Eastern Kentucky Housing Development Corporation== In 1968, Pat Gish founded the Eastern Kentucky Housing Corp.<ref name="Pat Gish, newswoman"/> The program was responsible for the implementation of programs that served to alleviate the struggles of low income families in Eastern Kentucky and Appalachia, as well as the construction of low income housing throughout the region.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Niethammer|first=Carolyn|year=1980|title=The Housing Corporation That Pat Built|journal=Savvy|pages=48–53}}</ref> Pat even partnered with Yale Architecture School, employing students to help design housing affordable for the natural difficulties of Eastern Kentucky's landscape. The organization made use of funding from the Office of Economic Opportunity, Department of Agriculture, Department of Health, Education and Welfare, and Department of Labor funds.<ref>"Statement of Pat B. Gish, Director of Eastern Kentucky Housing Development Corporation", United States Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs, October 6, 1970</ref> However, in the 1980s the federal support of these housing programs was heavily reduced. With this new development, Pat decided to oversee the merger of the EKHCDH and another similar organization, allowing her to return to a full-time position at The Eagle.<ref name="Pat Gish, newswoman"/>
==Later life and death== In 2001, Pat's son Ben Gish took over as editor of The Mountain Eagle,<ref name="ency"/> due to the declining health of Pat and Tom. Gish was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in the early 2000s. She succumbed to complications from Alzheimer's on April 13, 2014.<ref name="kentucky"/>
==Awards and recognition== In 1983, Pat and Tom received the Hugh M. Hefner First Amendment Award for "outstanding community leadership."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://hmhfoundation.org/site/?page_id=88|title=Winners and Judges of the Hugh M. Hefner First Amendment Awards {{!}} Hugh M. Hefner Foundation|website=hmhfoundation.org|language=en-US|access-date=2017-03-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150823213004/http://hmhfoundation.org/site/?page_id=88|archive-date=2015-08-23|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1985, the Gishes were acknowledged jointly in ''Newsweek'' magazine as two of its "100 American Heroes".<ref>"Home of the Brave: A Hundred Heroes for Our Time," ''Newsweek'', Summer 1986 (Special Edition).</ref> In 1986, the Gishes were inducted into the Mountain Heritage Hall of Fame and the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ci.uky.edu/jam/kyhalloffame_19811989|title=School of Journalism and Media : 1981-1989|website=ci.uky.edu|access-date=2017-03-04}}</ref> In 1987, the Gishes received the Environmental Policy Institute award for their work in promoting the environmental rights of the Appalachian region. In 1991, the Ralph Nader organization awarded the Gishes with the Joe A. Calloway Award for Civic Service.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.callawayawards.org/past-winners/|title=Past Winners of The Joe A. Callaway Award for Civic Courage {{!}} Joe A. Callaway Award for Civic Justice|website=www.callawayawards.org|language=en-US|access-date=2017-03-04}}</ref> In 1993, the ''Lexington Herald-Leader'' awarded the Gishes with the Edwards M. Templin Award for Community Service. The couple also donated land for a community park.
The University of Kentucky Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues instituted the Tom and Pat Gish Award in honor of the pair. The award is to be given to "rural journalists who demonstrate courage, tenacity and integrity often needed to render public service through journalism".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.uky.edu/CommInfoStudies/IRJCI/Gish.htm|title=Rural Journalism: Tom and Pat Gish|website=www.uky.edu|access-date=2017-03-04}}</ref> The Gishes were the first recipients of the award on Feb. 28, 2005.
==References== {{Reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Gish, Pat}} Category:1927 births Category:2014 deaths Category:People from Bourbon County, Kentucky Category:American newspaper publishers (people) Category:University of Kentucky alumni Category:American women journalists Category:Writers from Kentucky Category:21st-century American women