Education
McDonald attended the University of Oregon.
McDonald attended the University of Oregon.
The Seattle Times described her as ".. the first woman news reporter in all of South America. First woman copy editor in the Pacific Northwest. First woman telegraph editor, courthouse reporter and general news reporter in Oregon.
First woman overseas correspondent for a United States. trade newspaper.
First woman on a New York City rewrite desk. Second woman journalist in Alaska.
And second woman to be a correspondent abroad for The Associated Press". With Zola Helen Ross, she co-founded the Pacific Northwest Writers Association.
She had at least one sibling, a sister, Iris McRae.
In her early years, she worked at the Eugene Daily Guard, The Bulletin (Bend, Oregon), The Oregonian, and The Statesman-Journal (Salem, Oregon). She went on to write for newspapers from Alaska to South America, including the Seattle Daily Times, The New York Times, the United Press International, the Bellevue Journal-American and the Cordova Daily Times. She wrote or co-authored 28 books
They resided in Bellevue and Kirkland, Washington.
Her autobiography, A foot in the door: the reminiscences of Lucile McDonald, was published in 1995.
McDonald was a member of the Seattle Free Lances, the Authors League of America, Theta Sigma Phi"s National Executive Board, and the New York Newspaperwoman"s Club.