This fund, we hope, will not only inspire a new generation of journalists to embrace the same qualities of fearlessness and compassion that Molly so embodied, but also underscore one of her lesser-known traits – her uncommon generosity.
Those of us who knew her as a friend can attest that despite her celebrity, Molly was always ready to share her time and talents, from working the phones on behalf of a student stranded abroad to cooking up a feast for the monthly gatherings of her “Dearly Beloveds” at her home in Austin.
Perhaps her strongest legacy was her passionate support of the First Amendment. Fulfilling a promise she made to her longtime mentor, the late Texas writer John Henry Faulk, Molly committed herself for years to giving a speech in defense of free expression every month, usually in small towns and always at no charge.
It is to the people she called “contemporary heroes – plain, average, normal, everyday Americans – who stand up for freedom, even when it pisses off their neighbors and costs them a lot, one way or another” – that this modest project is dedicated.
Read more About the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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