Caroline Iverson Ackerman (March 6, 1918 – September 23, 2012) was an American aviator, journalist, reporter and educator. She was the aviation editor of

Life magazine ''Life'' (stylized as ''LIFE'') is an American magazine launched in 1883 as a weekly publication. In 1972, it transitioned to publishing "special" issues before running as a monthly from 1978 to 2000. Since then, ''Life'' has irregularly publi ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and was the first director of public relations for women for

Shell Oil Company Shell USA, Inc. (formerly Shell Oil Company, Inc.) is the United States–based wholly owned subsidiary of Shell plc, a UK-based transnational corporation " oil major" which is among the largest oil companies in the world. Approximately 18,000 ...

Biography

Caroline Emilie Iverson was born in

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

. She was the daughter of Jacob Engval Iverson and Ella Dorothea (Schmidt) Iverson. She earned her B.A. at the

University of Wisconsin–Madison The University of Wisconsin–Madison (University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin, UW, UW–Madison, or simply Madison) is a public land-grant research university in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. It was founded in 1848 when Wisconsin achieved st ...

in journalism and education in 1939. A licensed pilot, she received her certification in 1940. She taught courses in aviation at the

University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee The University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (UW–Milwaukee, UWM, or Milwaukee) is a Public university, public Urban university, urban research university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. It is the largest university in the Milwaukee metropo ...

Milwaukee School of Engineering The Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) is a private university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1903, the university has a primary focus on undergraduate engineering education with additional programs in business, mathem ...

until 1942 when she joined ''

Life Life, also known as biota, refers to matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes. It is defined descriptively by the capacity for homeostasis, Structure#Biological, organisation, met ...

'' magazine as an aviation researcher, reporter and advocate for flying. She became aviation editor of ''Life'', a position she held for the duration of

. In 1947, she joined

as the first director of public relations for women. Between 1947 and 1950, she worked under the pseudonym ''Carol Lane, Women's Travel Director'', an advertising character she co-developed, based on her personal experience and for which Shell Oil was later granted a registered trademark. The role was later assumed by multiple women on behalf of Shell Oil Company. As Shell Oil Women's Travel Director, she toured the country speaking as a travel expert on a lecture circuit of women's groups, church groups and advertising clubs, as well as appearing on television and radio. Her areas of expertise included budgeting for weekend get-aways and entertain children on longer car trips. She also wrote a nationally syndicated newspaper columnist penning ''Tips on Touring''. In 1997, Ackerman became an associate of the

Women's Institute for Freedom of the Press Women's Institute for Freedom of the Press (WIFP) is an American nonprofit publishing organization that was founded in Washington, D.C. in 1972. The organization works to increase media democracy and strengthen independent media. Basic informati ...

(WIFP). WIFP is an American nonprofit publishing organization. The organization works to increase communication between women and connect the public with forms of women-based media. Ackerman earned her M.S. from

Boston University Boston University (BU) is a Private university, private research university in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. BU was founded in 1839 by a group of Boston Methodism, Methodists with its original campus in Newbury (town), Vermont, Newbur ...

in 1969. In 1970, she became a professor of journalism at

Northeastern University Northeastern University (NU or NEU) is a private university, private research university with its main campus in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was founded by the Boston Young Men's Christian Association in 1898 as an all-male instit ...

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, where she taught until 1978. She had been involved with the

Lutheran Church Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched the Reformation in 15 ...

throughout her life. After her retirement from Northeastern, she assisted with communications development, wrote for and eventually became editor of the ''New England Lutheran'' until 1992. She also kept active as a freelance writer throughout the rest of her life. The papers of Caroline Iverson Ackerman are maintained at the

Schlesinger Library The Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America is a research library at Harvard Radcliffe Institute at Harvard University. According to Nancy F. Cott, the Carl and Lily Pforzheimer Foundation Director, it is "the ...

of the

Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study The Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University, also known as the Harvard Radcliffe Institute, is an institute of Harvard University that fosters interdisciplinary research across the humanities, sciences, social sciences, arts ...

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

Personal life

In 1949, she married Leslie Ackerman, her husband until his death in 2001 and they raised three children together; she died in 2012, aged 94.

Notable works

* ''Mass Media Influences on Mobile Suburban Adolescents'' (Thesis .S.- Boston University, 1969)

References

Other sources

*Popp, Richard K. (2008) ''Magazines, Marketing, and the Construction of Travel in the Postwar United States'' (Temple University Graduate School);

External links

Papers of Caroline Iverson Ackerman, 1927-2004 (inclusive)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ackerman, Caroline Iverson 1918 births 2012 deaths 20th-century American women educators 20th-century American educators 20th-century American women journalists 20th-century American journalists 20th-century Lutherans American Lutherans American people of Norwegian descent American women aviators Aviation journalists Boston University alumni Educators from Massachusetts University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Journalism & Mass Communication alumni Writers from Milwaukee American aviation writers