Sarah McClendon was born in Tyler, Texas on July 8, 1910. She graduated from Tyler Junior College and the University of Missouri, School of Journalism. Her first major news story was the New London, Texas school explosion in March 1937. After reporting for local newspapers in Tyler and Beaumont, she enlisted in the Women’s Army Corps where she obtained the rank of first lieutenant.  In addition to a position as a Pentagon public affairs officer, she was the first WAC to serve in the Office of the Army Surgeon General. After World War II she remained in Washington and opened the McClendon News Service, a syndication service which primarily served newspapers in Texas. Her columns and newsletters were also syndicated nationally (the most prominent being “Sarah McClendon’s Washington” column and her biweekly newsletter, “Sarah McClendon’s Washington Report.”) As a Washington press correspondent, Sarah McClendon covered eleven presidential administrations, from Franklin D. Roosevelt to Bill Clinton. She also reported regularly on Congress and the Defense Department, in addition to serving as a popular radio and television analyst. Sarah McClendon was also a regular speaker at universities, think tanks, Washington, D.C. events, and programs for veterans, women, and journalists. She authored two books, My Eight Presidents (Wyden Books, 1978) and Mr. President, Mr. President (General Publishing Group, 1996). McClendon was best known for her sharp, direct questions of presidents and public officials. Her inquiries at White House press conferences frequently attracted national attention, including her questions to Kennedy about security risks in the State Department, Eisenhower about mobilizing troops in Lebanon without Congressional consent, and George H.W. Bush about his involvement in the Iran-Contra affair. Further publicity resulted from her questions to President Nixon about delayed GI Bill payments (which resulted in major restructuring at the Veterans Administration) and to President Reagan about his administration’s treatment of women. Sarah McClendon held multiple offices in national organizations, including terms as vice-president of the National Press Club (the first woman to hold the office), president of the American News Women’s Club, vice-chairman of the National Woman’s Party, and president of the Capitol Hill First Friday Club. She also held many appointed offices, including positions on the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services (DACOWITS), Veterans Administration Advisory Committee on Women Veterans, the Army Advisory Task Force on Women in the Army Policy Review, and the National Council of the National Woman’s Party. Sarah McClendon received many awards and honors, including a place in the Washington D.C. Society of Professional Journalists Hall of Fame (Sigma Delta Chi); a Headliner award from Women in Communications; First Presidential Award for Covering Washington  from the National Federation of Press Women; Media Award from the Veterans of Foreign Wars; the American Woman award  from the Women's Research and Education Foundation; the Woman of Conscience Award from the National Council of Women; Association of Government Communicators Award; the Elizabeth Boyer Award from the Women’s Equity Action League; the University of Missouri’s Distinguished Alumnus Award; and the Golden Eagle Award presented to her in 1991 by the University of Texas at Tyler. She passed away in Washington, D.C. in January 2003. Sarah McClendon was survived by her daughter, Sarah Newcomb McClendon, one granddaughter, and one great-granddaughter. Note written by Samantha Winn.