Jill Jackson

Jill Jackson was a Hollywood news reporter whose syndicated newspaper column, "Jill Jackson's Hollywood" ran in 1,700 newspapers at it's peak. Jackson was raised in New Orleans, Louisiana and active in newspaper and radio work there and in 1948 became the nation's first female television sportscaster. She moved to Hollywood in the 1950's and began writing her syndicated column as well as a weekly exclusive one for the New Orleans newspaper, The Times Picayune. Her closest Hollywood friends included the veteran screenwriter Frances Marion and another columnist, the legendary Hedda Hopper. A former President of the Hollywood Women's Press Club, Jackson was still active with a weekly syndicated column at the time of her death at age 97 in 2010.