Trailblazing journalist and animal activist Ann Cottrell Free, who passed away in 2004, never met a glass ceiling she couldn’t break. After working as a press agent for Paramount Pictures in Hollywood, California, she moved to Washington, D.C. There, in quick succession, she became the first woman Washington correspondent for Newsweek magazine, the Chicago Sun-Times, and the New York Herald Tribune. She later took her readers with her as she traveled the world covering important stories and reporting on history-makers such as Mahatma Gandhi and Eleanor Roosevelt.
Ann extended that pioneering spirit to her work for animals. Her reporting helped mobilize support for the passage of the groundbreaking Humane Slaughter Act in 1958 and the historic federal Animal Welfare Act, which was signed into law eight years later. Her compassion and talent as an author shine in No Room, Save in the Heart, which features beautiful images of and poems about animals, and in Animals, Nature & Albert Schweitzer, where she offers a unique look at Dr. Schweitzer’s reverence for life told through the words of the Nobel Peace Prize winner himself.
In September, Ann’s legacy will be honored at the inauguration of the Schweitzer Center in Kaysersberg, France, as one of the 10 people whose work for world peace was inspired by Schweitzer. Ann was a founding member of PETA, and her daughter, Elissa Blake Free—a longtime Vanguard Society member and supporter—has continued in her mother’s footsteps. PETA President Ingrid Newkirk said of Ann, “Thanks to her, the plight of wild horses was put on the map, the plight of dogs in laboratories and the plight of the hunted and more…We will remember her fondly and with gratitude for being such a fighter, such an inspiration, and such a friend to those who have no voice of their own with which to protect themselves.”
To honor Ann’s legacy, PETA is giving away copies of Animals, Nature & Albert Schweitzer with purchases of $50 or more from the PETA Shop.
Act quickly, because this offer is only available while supplies last.
After you read the books, please be sure to leave reviews on the Amazon and Goodreads websites.
