Ink-Slinger Profiles by Alex Jay: Agnes A. Kelleher

Agnes Anne Kelleher was born in Stuart, Iowa, on October 26, 1900, according to the Iowa, Births and Christenings Index at Ancestry.com, and The McCarville/McCarbel Family Genealogy, 900 AD to 2002 AD, Volume 1 (2002). The 1905 Iowa state census recorded the Kelleher family in Wright, Iowa. In the 1910 U.S. Federal Census, Kelleher was the youngest of four children born to John, a farmer, and Mary. They resided in Delaware, Iowa. The Kellehers were Des Moines residents in the 1915 Iowa state census.

The June 1918 issue of St. Mary’s Chimes, a publication of St. Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Indiana, listed students, including Kelleher, who received music certificates.

The Kelleher’s address in the 1920 census was 1116 Ninth Street. A 1921 Des Moines city directory listed Kelleher as a student. In the 1924 Hawkeye yearbook of the University of Iowa, Kelleher was a sophomore and member of the Spanish Club. The 1925 Iowa state census said Kelleher lived with her parents at 665 41st Street in Des Moines.

According to the 1926 Des Moines city directory, Kelleher was a feature writer with the Register & Tribune newspaper. She lived with her parents. Two years later Kelleher was a managing editor. Her occupation was the same in the 1930 census.

Des Moines city directories, from 1931 to 1936, listed Kelleher as a Register & Tribune employee who served, at different times, as department editor, managing editor and sales manager.

Dallas, Texas was Kelleher’s new home as recorded in the 1937 Dallas city directory. She stayed at the Mayfair Hotel. The Iowa Publisher and the Bulletin of the Iowa Press Association, in a 1938 issue, noted Kelleher’s new job and location: “Agnes Anne Kelleher, ’25, formerly of the syndicate department of the Des Moines Register, is now a picture broker in Dallas. Tex.”

Kelleher worked out of the Mayfair Hotel according to the 1938 Dallas city directory. Her occupation was feature broker. Kelleher was joined by her older sister, Margaret, who was a feature editor. Both resided at 4024 Hawthorne Avenue. This was the address for the entire Kelleher family in the 1940 census.

Kelleher handled the syndication, beginning April 11, 1939, of Classie Addie, Classified Ad Fan, by writer Ellen Connor and artist Lorene Rutherford. 

The sisters were listed in industry directories such as the 1945 Ayer Directory, Newspapers, Magazines and Trade Publications, 1948 Editor & Publisher, 1952 Ayer Directory of Publications, and 1964 Annual Directory of Syndicated Services (below). 

Kelleher, A. A., and M. M. (KEL)
Newspaper Feature Brokers
P.O. Box 2414 Dallas 21, Texas
Telephone: Riverside 7-1414 and LA 8-5916
Agnes Anne Kelleher, Manager
Margaret M. Kelleher, Editor

Kelleher passed away February 5, 1999, in Dallas, according to the Texas and Social Security Death Indexes.

—Alex Jay