From Headlines to History: Alice Dunnigan, Pioneering African American Journalist

Alice Allison Dunnigan was a trailblazing American journalist, civil rights activist, and author. Her contributions to the field of journalism and commitment to advancing civil rights have left an indelible mark on American history. Alice Dunnigan was born near Russellville, Kentucky, on April 27, 1906. On January 1, 1947, she became the head of ANP’s Washington Bureau. In 1948, the then-US President, His Excellency Harry S. Truman, embarked on a 15-day train journey to the West Coast during his presidential campaign. During that tour, Ms. Dunnigan secured her first major story. Alice’s headline captured the moment: “Pajama Clad President Defends Civil Rights at Midnight.” In the same year, Ms. Dunnigan became the first African American female to become a White House correspondent and the first elected to the Women’s National Press Club. She was honored by Haitian President, His Excellency François Duvalier, for her articles on Haiti. She became the first African American woman to gain press credentials for the State Department and the Supreme Court. In 1960, Ms. Dunnigan vacated her seat in the press galleries. President Kennedy appointed her as an education consultant for the President’s Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity, making her the first American woman to be appointed to the new administration. A new annotated edition, “Alone Atop of the Hill: The Autobiography of Alice Dunnigan, Pioneer of the National Black Press” of her 1974 autobiography was released in February 2015.

Alice Allison Dunnigan was always willing to fight for race and gender equality. She served under four presidents: Presidents Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson – and challenged each of them whenever she believed something was amiss. In 2022, the White House Correspondents’ Association introduced the Dunnigan-Payne Lifetime Achievement Award in memory of Dunnigan and fellow White House reporter Ethel Payne. In August 2019, the Alice Dunnigan monument made its way home to her native Russellville. It resides in the Alice Dunnigan Memorial Park, named after her in the Russellville Historic District and is part of the West Kentucky African American Heritage Center.