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Meantime all Detroit has asked, "Who is Nancy Brown?" Years ago the News's editors concluded that the best way to build up their columnist as a circulation-puller was to make a mystery of her identity. They have continued to whet Detroit's curiosity by creating around Nancy Brown's real name as titillating a hocus-pocus as that which made the reputations of The Man in the Iron Mask and radio's Your Lover. At her parties and religious services she mingles anonymously with the crowd. Only a few of her Column Folks have guessed her out.
"Nancy Brown" was born Annie Louise Brown in Perry, Me. 65 years ago this week. She was graduated from Mount Holyoke in 1892, taught school in White River Junction, Vt., Rockville, Conn. and Mount Clemens, Mich. In 1904 she married James Edward Leslie, Pittsburgh dramatic critic. After her husband's death in 1917 childless Widow Leslie filled in for a few months as dramatic editor of the Pittsburgh Dispatch, then went to live with relatives in Michigan. Late in 1918 she appeared at the office of the Detroit News, asked for a job.
The News's editor, who had just been studying a column for housewives in the Kansas City Star, asked Mrs. Leslie to develop something similar, assigned her to his women's department. Eight months later, on April 19, 1919, her column appeared as an unsigned weekly feature. Her chatty advice on domestic problems caught on at once. Within three months the column, signed "Nancy Brown," was appearing every day. Widow Leslie tried to play down sex problems, but they soon bulked too large to ignore. A physician, a lawyer and a sociologist were hired as her consultants. Her column became famed for the authoritative manner and homey style in which she discussed life, death, morals, art, literature, music, business, religion, education, love.
Widow Leslie has long written a daily editorial for the News under her own name, and many a hoaxed reader sends Columnist Nancy Brown messages and gifts to hand to Editorial Writer Leslie. At 65 she is a small, plump person, shy, softspoken, white-haired. She belongs to the Unitarian Church, lives at No. 1224 Glynn Court, Detroit.