Career
She died December 27, 2001 in Nashville, Tennessee. Her date of birth remained undisclosed in accordance with her wishes. As a native Chattanoogan, she wrote for both papers there before beginning her broadcast career.
She was society editor of The Chattanooga Times, the parent newspaper to The New York Times.
Her mentors included two great Chattanooga newspaper publishers: Adolph Ochs (who later started The New York Times) and Roy McDonald. She hosted a radio show on WAPO where she gave Estes Kefauver the legendary coonskin cap that he later took on the road in his presidential campaign.
She moved her show to WDOD, then to WDEF where she was named public affairs director The day WDEF-television signed on the air in 1954, so did she, with “Drue’s Party Lincolnshire.”
In those early days, she was the only woman member (honorary) of the Tennessee National Guard.
She flew by military aircraft to inspect their summer active duty camp and report on their activities.
In 1962, President John F. Kennedy appointed her to represent Tennessee on the Defense Advisory Committee for Women in the Services. Later, she came to Nashville to serve as information liaison for Governor Frank G. Clement. She also was a contributor to National Broadcasting Company’s "Monitor," American Broadcasting Company’s "Flair" and Columbia Broadcasting System’ "Accent" and "In Person" which featured formats similar to today"s National Public Radio’s news and information shows.
She stayed on in Nashville to cover the Tennessee General Assembly for WLAC radio and the Tennessee Radio Network.
She was the first woman to cover the statehouse full-time and she became the first woman to chair the Capitol Hill Press Corps. In 2001, the Legislature named the Capitol Press Room for her.
Drue also lent her talents to the Middle Tennessee Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. She was their first woman member and first woman president
In 1997, the group named their journalism scholarship in her honor.