Trailblazers
October 2026

Sanctuary celebrates Nellie Bly, an American journalist whose bold statements, persistence and talent paved the way for other women journalists to write about important social and political topics only assigned to men at the time.

Nellie Bly (c. 1890)

“I always have a comfortable feeling that nothing is impossible if one applies a certain amount of energy in the right direction.” ~ Nellie Bly

Nellie Bly (1864-1922) was an American journalist whose around-the-world race against a fictional record (Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne) brought her world renown. Born Elizabeth Cochran (she used Nellie Bly as a pen name), Nellie was known for her straightforward yet compassionate approach to important exposés and articles about a wide range of subjects, paving the way for other women journalists to write about important political and social topics, instead of being assigned articles strictly about “women’s issues.”

​A breakthrough in her career happened when Nellie moved to New York City in 1886. She found it extremely difficult to find work as a female reporter in the male-dominated field. A year later, she stormed into the office of the New York World, one of the leading newspapers in the country. She wanted to write a story on the immigrant experience in the United States. The editor, Joseph Pulitzer, declined that story, but he challenged her to investigate one of New York’s most notorious mental asylums, Blackwell’s Island. She accepted the challenge and decided to feign mental illness to gain admission and exposed the asylum’s terrible conditions in a six-part series titled Ten Days in the Madhouse. Her reporting raised awareness about mental health treatment and led to improvements in institutional conditions, while ushering in an age of investigative journalism. Her courage and persistence cemented her legacy as one of the most notable journalists in history.

Nellie’s successful career reached new heights in 1889 when she decided to travel around the world after reading the popular book by Jules Verne, Around the World in 80 Days. The New York World published daily updates on her journey and the entire country followed her story. Her trip only took 72 days, which set a world record.
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In her later years, she returned to journalism, covering World War I from Europe and continuing to shed light on major issues that impacted women. Nellie died from pneumonia on January 27, 1922. In a tribute after her death, the acclaimed newspaper editor Arthur Brisbane remembered her as “the best reporter in America.”

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Some interesting facts...

• Nellie had very little formal schooling.
• She began her career as a reporter for the Pittsburgh Dispatch. She got the job offer after sending an angry letter to the editor in response to an article the newspaper had printed titled “What Girls Are Good For” (not much was the gist of the article).
• Early in her career she wrote about the conditions among working girls in Pittsburgh, slum life, and similar topics.
• In 1886–87 she traveled for several months through Mexico, sending back reports on official corruption and the condition of the poor. Her sharply critical articles angered Mexican officials and caused her expulsion from the country.
• She covered major stories like the march of Jacob Coxey’s Army on Washington, D.C. and the Pullman strike in Chicago, 1894 protests in favor of workers’ rights.
• Another time she boldly spoke her mind was in response to an article in the Pittsburgh Dispatch that criticized the presence of women in the workforce. She penned an open letter to the editor that called for more opportunities for women, especially those responsible for the financial wellbeing of their families. The newspaper’s editor saw potential in her piece and invited her to work for the Dispatch as a reporter.
• Nellie produced regular exposés on New York’s ills, such as corruption in the state legislature, unscrupulous employment agencies for domestic workers, and the black market for buying infants.
• Nellie was the first woman reporter on the front lines of WWI.
• In 2015, director Timothy Hines released 10 Days in a Madhouse, which depicts Nellie’s harrowing experience in the Blackwell’s Island asylum.
• In early 2019, Lifetime released a psychological thriller based on Nellie’s experience in the Blackwell’s Island asylum titled “Escaping the Madhouse: The Nellie Bly Story.” Christina Ricci starred as Bly and Judith Light played the role of the head nurse. Karen Moncrieff directed the film. 

Watch "10 Days in a Madhouse" (2015) on YouTube

A Businesswoman AND a Journalist

​At the age of 30, she married millionaire Robert Seamen and retired from journalism. He died in 1903, leaving her in control of the massive Iron Clad Manufacturing Company and American Steel Barrel Company. She went on to patent several inventions related to oil manufacturing. She also prioritized the welfare of the employees, providing health care benefits and recreational facilities. Unfortunately, Nellie did not manage the finances well and fell victim to fraud by employees that led the firm to declare bankruptcy.

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