Journalism Professor Emerita Betty Medsger Broke Story of 1971 Break-In to FBI Office

Monday, March 08, 2021
Betty Medsger sitting on a park bench and smiling
Betty Medsger, professor emerita of Journalism. Photo by Joyce Ravid.

SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE -- In recent years, Daniel has revealed his past to some close friends and family, gaining comfort by watching six of his colleagues come forward publicly starting in 2014 with the release of a book and documentary. But for the most part, he kept silent, abiding by the group’s vow to maintain secrecy.

“It’s really sort of staggering what they caused,” said Betty Medsger, the former Washington Post reporter who broke the story in 1971 and would later chair the San Francisco State Journalism Department. “The idea of these amateur people who were so dedicated … and their willingness to risk decades in prison.”

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