Ida M. Tarbell

The Business of Being a Woman (Dodo Press) Ida M. Tarbell

Ida Minerva Tarbell (1857-1944) was a teacher, an author and journalist. She was known as one of the leading "muckrakers" of her day, work known in modern times as "investigative journalism. " She is best-known for her 1904 book The History of the Standard Oil Company, which was listed number five among the top 100 works of twentieth-century American journalism by the New York Times in 1999. Ida graduated at the head of her high school class in Titusville, Pennsylvania. After graduating from college, Ida began her career as a science teacher. However, she found her life's work in writing, and changed her vocation after two years, and returned to Pennsylvania, where she began writing for Chataquan. By 1886, she had become the managing editor. In 1891, she moved to Paris. While in France Ida wrote articles for various magazines. She went to work for McClure's Magazine and wrote a popular series on Napoleon Bonaparte. These established her reputation nationally as a leading writer. Her other works include, Father Abraham (1909), The Business of Being a Woman (1912), In Lincoln's Chair (1920) and Boy Scouts' Life of Lincoln (1921).