An Inspired Visitor Will Change Grand Teton’s Future: Remembering Deborah Howell

“She loved the place and wanted to leave a lot of what she’d earned for the Tetons.”


For more than 30 years, the Tetons provided the backdrop for some of the best moments of Deborah Howell’s life. A groundbreaking journalist who retired as the Washington Post ombudsman in 2008, Deborah and her husband, Peter Magrath, spent two weeks of every summer on the shores of Jenny Lake. They explored the park’s trails, starting early every morning and savoring every step. “She knew the trails, she was my guide,” Mr. Magrath said. “This was her place.”

 The couple traveled the world, but it was the American West that captivated Deborah. Her enduring love of open spaces, mountains, and wildlife has now transformed into a gift that will help make Grand Teton the best place it can be—a bequest that the Foundation will one day use to continue special projects in the park.

 We all hope to be remembered in some significant way. While many set out to engineer the legacy they are eventually known for, others are destined for the history books because it’s simply who they are. A young newspaper editor at the Minneapolis Star in the 1960s, Deborah remains one of few women to have held the position of city desk editor. “She was a significant American journalist,” Mr. Magrath said. “She smashed the glass ceiling at a time when there were incredible prejudices against women.” Twenty years later, Deborah led the St. Paul Pioneer Press to win two Pulitzer Prizes. She later served as the first bureau chief of Newhouse News and will forever be remembered for paving the way for female journalists today.

 Deborah spent time in the company of things that mattered most to her. By including the Foundation in her will, she’s left the world another legacy that underscores her generosity, spirit of adventure and, most of all, her gift for inspiring others.

 Deborah Howell and Peter Magrath have been longtime supporters of Grand Teton National Park Foundation. Mr. Magrath currently serves as the interim president at Binghamton University in upstate New York.