M. Virginia Rosenbaum (born M. Virginia Fike) (1921–2005) was Maryland's first female county surveyor and a member of the Maryland Society of Surveyors. For a short time she worked as a copy writer and eventually became the manager of

WTBO WTBO is an oldies formatted broadcast Broadcasting is the data distribution, distribution of sound, audio audiovisual content to dispersed audiences via a electronic medium (communication), mass communications medium, typically one using th ...

radio station in

Cumberland, Maryland Cumberland is a city in Allegany County, Maryland, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 19,075. Located on the Potomac River, Cumberland is a regional business and comm ...

. In 1961 Rosenbaum purchased a local

Allegany County, Maryland Allegany County is a County (United States), county located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 68,106. Its county seat is Cumberland, Maryland, Cumberland ...

, newspaper, ''The Allegany Citizen'', renamed it to ''The Citizen'', and edited and published the weekly paper for 28 years.

Early life

M. Virginia Fike was born on September 3, 1921, in

Suffolk, Virginia Suffolk ( ) is an independent city (United States), independent city in Virginia, United States. As of 2020, the population was 94,324. It is the List of cities in Virginia, 10th-most populous city in Virginia, the largest city in Virginia by bou ...

, to parents John and Mildred Fike. She attended Ursuline Academy, now known as The Woods Academy, in

Bethesda, Maryland Bethesda () is an unincorporated, census-designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. Located just northwest of Washington, D.C., it is a major business and government center of the Washington metropolitan region ...

, and then went on to attend Strayer's Business College, now known as

Strayer University Strayer University is a private for-profit university headquartered in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1892 as Strayer's Business College and later became Strayer College, before being granted university status in 1998. Strayer University ...

Career

Prior to her time as a county surveyor, Rosenbaum worked briefly as a

real estate broker Real estate agents and real estate brokers are people who represent sellers or buyers of real estate or real property. While a broker may work independently, an agent usually works under a licensed broker to represent clients. Brokers and age ...

and also as a

paralegal A paralegal, also known as a legal assistant or paralegal specialist, is a legal professional who performs tasks that require knowledge of legal concepts but not the full expertise of a lawyer with an admission to practice law. The market for p ...

. During her career as a journalist, she worked first for the Henry J. Kaufman Advertising Agency in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, then from 1942 to 1945 worked at the WTBO radio station. One of her longest and most involved career endeavors began when she purchased ''The Allegany Citizen'' newspaper and, after renaming it to ''The Citizen'', entered her position as editor and publisher. Rosenbaum continued to edit and publish the paper until 1983, after which she opened her own surveying business. During her time as editor, Rosenbaum was introduced to the concept of

fluoridation Water fluoridation is the controlled addition of fluoride to public water supplies to reduce tooth decay. Fluoridated water maintains fluoride levels effective for cavity prevention, achieved naturally or through supplementation. In the mou ...

and became convinced of its dangers, dedicating most of her life to advocating for pure drinking water in Maryland. Over the course of her life, she led seven successful campaigns to purify Maryland's water supply and promoted an anti-fluoridation agenda in her paper, becoming known as a figurehead for the movement. She is quoted in a ''Baltimore Sun'' article from 2000 insisting that fluoride is "deadly poison."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rosenbaum, M. Virginia 1921 births 2005 deaths American surveyors People from Suffolk, Virginia American radio executives Editors of Maryland newspapers People from Frostburg, Maryland American real estate brokers American newspaper publishers (people) People from Cumberland, Maryland