Ask Ann Landers

Ann Landers was a pen name created by Chicago Sun-Times advice columnist Ruth Crowley in 1943 and taken over by Esther Pauline "Eppie" Lederer in 1955. For 56 years, the Ask Ann Landers syndicated advice column was a regular feature in many newspapers across North America. Due to this popularity, "Ann Landers," though fictional, became something of a national institution and cultural icon.

The creator of the "Ann Landers" pseudonym was Ruth Crowley, a Chicago nurse who had been writing a child-care column for the Sun since 1941. She chose the pseudonym at random — borrowing the surname 'Landers' from a family friend — to prevent confusion between her two columns. Unlike her eventual successor Esther Lederer, Crowley kept her identity as Landers secret, even enjoining her children to help her keep it quiet. Crowley took a three-year break from writing the column from 1948 until 1951. After 1951 she continued the column for the Chicago Sun-Times and in syndication (since 1951) to 26 other newspapers until her death, aged 48, on July 20, 1955. Crowley spent a total of nine years writing advice as "Ann Landers." She also was featured on the television series All About Baby.

In the three-month period after Crowley's death, various writers, including Connie Chancellor, took over the column.

By including expert advice from authorities, which none of her competitors did, Lederer won a contest to become the new writer of the column, debuting on October 16, 1955. The column opened with a letter from a "Non-Eligible Bachelor," who despaired of getting married. Her advice was, "You're a big boy now...don't let spite ruin your life." Lederer went on to advise thousands of other readers over the next several decades. Eventually, she became owner of the copyright.

News America Syndicate distributed the Landers column before it was sold to King Features, and Landers moved to the new Creators Syndicate. On February 13, 1987, after years of seeking to run the column, the Chicago Tribune announced the Landers column was moving there, and the Sun-Times replaced her with Ruth Crowley's daughter Diane Crowley and Jeff Zaslow of The Wall Street Journal.

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