A newsroom women’s caucus, formed in 1972, examined rolls kept by the Newspaper Union, a union representing non-managerial employees, and found patterns of unequal pay and unequal promotions. It was found that Ms. Glueck’s statement in her first interview that she was “attractive brunette” was itself evidence. The caucus called for a positive action plan for women.
In late 1972, the caucuses gathered momentum and Mr. Glueck was promoted to cultural news editor for the daily newspaper. The Times’ chief art critic at the time, John Canaday, wrote about her in the newspaper’s internal newsletter, The Times Talk: Her other attractions, where else can I start?”
“Grace can unearth a story with the power of a construction worker dynamizing for a new subway and the precision of a dentist examining a movie star’s front teeth for cavities.”
But when Glueck realized he didn’t like his new job as an editor—a non-writing job—he resigned and returned to his trusty bike and his beloved art beats.
The case was settled in 1978, with both sides claiming victory. The Times didn’t grant pay increases, get promoted quickly, or make drastic changes to its voluntary affirmative action program. But the company has agreed to hire more women, from new hires to senior executives, and to create a pension to cover the cost of “delayed career progression and missed opportunities.”
“Grace lit the fire,” said Mary Marshall Clarke, who worked as an oral historian at The Times before becoming director of the Center for Oral History Studies at Columbia University.
Grace Gluck was born in New York on July 24, 1926, the daughter of Ernest and Mignon (Schwarz) Gluck. She grew up in Rockville Center, a suburb of Long Island. Her father was a municipal bond salesman on Wall Street until the Great Depression and later became an insurance broker. Her mother was a contributor to the local newspaper and was a homemaker. After graduating from her high school at the Rockville Center, Gluck attended New York University, where she served as editor of the literary magazine The Apprentice. She graduated in 1948.