Fonds F1540 - Eva Reid fonds

Eva Adeline Reid, 1906-1989, was born in Orangeville, Ontario but moved in 1909 to a ranch near Fort Macleod, Alberta with her parents William J. Reid and Anne Elizabeth (White) Reid. In the early 1930s, she moved to Calgary and boarded with William Aberhart and family while attending the Calgary Prophetic Bible Institute. Through her association with Aberhart, she became involved with Social Credit, serving as secretary of the Alberta Social Credit League during the mid 1930s.

Her newspaper career started when she joined the Alberta Social Credit Chronicle as circulation manager and later was given a column to write. When the Chronicle was sold to the Albertan in 1937, Reid was appointed provincial editor. In 1941, she became women’s editor but also served as police-court reporter for a short time in the mid 1940s. After the Second World War, she became full-time women's editor for twenty years. From 1961 until her retirement in 1980 she wrote a social column “Eavesdrop with Eva” three times per week as well as writing feature articles and editing the religion pages.

Among her many accomplishments was being named Dean of Newspaper Women in Alberta by her journalistic peers in 1970 and Woman of the Year by the YWCA in 1981. She was active in the Canadian Women's Press Club, helping to revive the local Calgary Branch in the early 1950s and serving as national vice-president for one term.

For further information see M 7957/169 and "Eva Reid" in Alberta Originals : Stories of Albertans who made a Difference / Brian Brennan. -- Calgary : Fifth House, 2001, p. 106-108; and Jennifer Hamblin's article, "Eva Reid : Girl Reporter" in Alberta History, vol. 52, no. 4 (Autumn 2004), p. 8-21; and Jennifer Hamblin's article, "Everybody's Favorite : Eva Reid" in ChinookCountry Historical Society : Remembering Chinook Country. -- Calgary : Detselig, 2005.