Nellie Kenyon: Trailblazing Tennessee Journalist

Nellie Kenyon covered big stories in an era when men dominated the field of journalism. Her career began at the Chattanooga News, where she reported on World War I and woman suffrage. She received the first press pass at the Scopes Monkey Trial, where she befriended H.L. Menken. Her accomplishments include solving a bank robbery and reporting on the Georgia Tann baby-selling scandal. Later writing for the Tennessean in Nashville, she covered the poll tax repeal fight and school desegregation. Her coverage of the trials of Jimmy Hoffa won her several accolades. East Tennessee author Tyler L. Boyd returns with another life story, taking readers on a trip through the twentieth century through the eyes of a trailblazing Tennessee journalist.

About the Author :
Tyler L. Boyd was born and raised in Athens, Tennessee. He earned his B.A. in History and M.S. in Education from the University of Tennessee. He is a social studies teacher and has taught in Loudon, Bradley, and McMinn Counties. He is a Programs Committee member at the McMinn County Living Heritage Museum and Vice President of the McMinn County Historical Society. He enjoys running, traveling, genealogy, and the cinema. His first book, "Tennessee Statesman Harry T. Burn: Woman Suffrage, Free Elections and a Life of Service" has won several awards, including the East Tennessee Historical Society's Award of Distinction. A native of Chattanooga, Tennessee, Karen Paul Stone holds a BA degree in French and Spanish from the University of Kentucky and founded Waldenhouse Publishers, Inc. in 1995 near Chattanooga. She serves as Editor in Chief and principal designer. She is also Editor of McCoy Farm & Gardens Newsletter in Walden, TN. She was co-founder of Ashland Press in 1975 and for ten years a principal of Transylvania Printing Company, both in Lexington, KY. She is author of several books and writes for "The Mountain Mirror" newspaper.

Review :
"At a time of questions about the media, it is refreshing to read of an enterprising woman, who worked her way from getting in the door to being a model for uncovering facts and was a great storyteller. Tyler Boyd captures those moments and more in Nellie Kenyon." - Tom Griscom, former editor and publisher, Chattanooga Times Free Press "Who doesn't love a story that connects local, regional and national history? As someone who values history and the stories of remarkable players in our historical heritage, I urge you to read Tyler Boyd's latest work, Nellie Kenyon. I suggest you grab a copy and settle down in your favorite comfortable chair, perhaps with a soft afghan, and be prepared to read from beginning to end. It's that good. It's that insightful. You're going to love Nellie and her truly exceptional journalistic career. Yea, Nellie!" - Linda Moss Mines, Hamilton County Tennessee Historian "A great history of a five foot tall female journalist pioneer who was a giant in the newspaper industry. She covered many landmark cases including Scopes to Hoffa throughout the legal history of Tennessee. Her interview of convicted gangster Al Capone at the Chattanooga Terminal Railway Station on his way to the Atlanta Penitentiary to serve his sentence for income tax evasion is a classic example of tenacious work and creativity by a reporter." - Jerry Summers, author and attorney "In Nellie Kenyon," Tyler Boyd brings us another fascinating subject. Pioneering journalist and sometime detective, Kenyon broke some of the biggest news of the day, from woman suffrage and the Scopes Trial to black market adoption and desegregation. Abby Crawford Milton called her 'the best bird dog in the pack so far as news gathering.'" - Ann Toplovich, former executive director, Tennessee Historical Society