Kathryn Duerfeldt and Martha Stoddard were inducted into the Marian Andersen Nebraska Women Journalists Hall of Fame on April 12, 2025. Duerfeldt studied journalism at the University of Nebraska from 1919-1923. Stoddard received her Master of Arts degree in journalism from the College of Journalism and Mass Communications in 1991.
Nebraska Press Women formed the Marian Andersen Nebraska Women Journalists Hall of Fame in 2011, with six women in the inaugural class. The honor recognizes the working women journalists who, through talent, initiative, intelligence, persistence and stamina, have made a difference for the profession, for their communities and for those who follow in their footsteps.
Duerfeldt graduated from Gordon High School in 1919 and went on to attend the University of Nebraska. She began her career as a teacher and legal secretary, but joined the staff of the Gordon Journal in the late 1930s.
During World War Il Duerfeldt served as editor of the Journal under Publisher Dwight Griswold. At a time when staff was short, she kept the newspaper going. When Griswold was elected governor, she went with him to Lincoln to be his personal secretary. After the war, he headed the U.S. mission to Greece and Duerfeldt went with him, first as his secretary and then as executive officer of the mission.
Once she returned to Lincoln she went to work as an editorial assistant for the Lincoln Journal, where she was responsible for writing the "More or Less Personal" column, writing editorials and managing the editorial page layout.
She was the first woman to be named Nebraska Journalist of the Year by the Society of Professional Journalists, Sigma Delta Chi. In Duerfeldts 25 years at the Lincoln Journal, she was known for championing the causes of the poor, the young and people unable to fight for themselves.
Her columns stressed the need to move toward racial equality in Lincoln, the state of Nebraska and the United States. She pushed to raise educational and cultural levels by expanding opportunity and access.
Stoddard, a graduate of Lincoln East High School, earned a bachelor's degree in international development from Earlham College in Richmond, Inc., and then a master's degree in journalism from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
In 1985, she began her journalistic career as a daily news reporter. She wrote for the Lincoln Journal-Star for many years, covering health care, K-12 education and more before being assigned to state government, the Unicameral and higher education. In 2003, she was hired by the Omaha World-Herald to cover state services and state government. Because of her many years of experience on the statehouse beat, the readers of the World-Herald and Journal-Star could rely on her firsthand knowledge and her impeccable reporting. During that time, she mentored many new, young journalists, teaching them how to find answers, get quotes and write their stories. She took the time to speak to students in college journalism classes as well.
Stoddard was a member of Nebraska Press Women for at least two decades, serving as treasurer, vice president and scholarship chairwoman. "State government reporter and runner. Marathon meetings, marathon races" is the slogan that Stoddard used for her internet accounts as she is also a long-time member of the Lincoln running community, taking part in numerous races throughout the years.
The hall of fame is sponsored by and named for the late Marian Andersen, a graduate of the College of Journalism and Mass Communications. Andersen is the exclusive sponsor, her financial support continues to make it possible to honor women journalists. The hall of fame is located at the UNL College of Journalism & Mass Communications in Andersen Hall.
