Martha Mitchell Creative Writing Contest
12th Grade Winners for the 1999-2000 School Year

$200.00 First Place Winner:
Johnna Staudinger from Dumas High School

Martha Mitchell's Place in History--The Nature and Significance of Her
Impact on Washington Politics.

        Martha Beall Mitchell was born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, she made her first appearance on the scene in New York -- blonde and dimpled.  The move to Washington, D.C. in 1969, proved to be fatal to her personal life, but favorable to her country.  She earned notoriety because of her loud mouth, her flashy wardrobe, and most significantly for her part in the Watergate Scandal in Washington, D.C.
        Mrs. Mitchell was married to John Mitchell, Nixon's Attorney General.  During the Nixon administration, wives of high ranking officials were expected to observe the social graces, and except for Martha, most of them did.  She made headlines for her outspoken opinions, and as long as she remained ardently pro-Nixon, the men tolerated her.
          However, when she gave her anti-Nixon administration story of Watergate to the Washington Post, she found herself in an antagonistic environment.  Even though the story at first was largely confined to pages of this newspaper, eventually it became public knowledge.  In October of 1972, the reporters Woodward and Bernstein linked Mrs. Martha Mitchell's husband to the break-in.  Sources said that John Mitchell had personally authorized money to be given to pay for expenses surrounding the Watergate break-in.  Mrs. Mitchell emerged as a leading figure worthy of attention despite the fact that many of those close to her still chose not to believe her.
          Even though Mrs. Mitchell was angry for accusations made against her husband in connection with the scandal, she persisted in her efforts to see that "justice" would prevail.  She continued calling the Washington Post, talking to Woodward and Bernstein, and trying to convince them her husband was being used as a scapegoat.  Mitchell went as far as letting them take a look at her husband's office files at their home.  Nevertheless, the reporters did investigate the White House more thoroughly to see if there was a connection.  Unfortunately for Martha, her husband was loyal to President Nixon and would have no part in laying the blame on him.  Therefore, Mrs. Mitchell's home life was troubled.  The tenacious woman, however, continued to stand for justice.
          John Mitchell, Martha Mitchell's husband, was embarrassed by her actions, and assigned a security guard to look after her.   Later he ripped out the phone, had her sedated, confined to a hotel room, and reputedly once locked her in a closet to stop her phone calls to friends and the press.   Despite the agonized terrors which she experienced at home, Mrs. Mitchell did not lose her determination to terminate the demeanor going on in the White House.
          John Mitchell's resignation as Nixon's campaign manager and his move with Martha to Manhattan was an attempt to prevent further allegations against the administration.  Yet, she was  not silenced for long.  Mrs. Mitchell publicly accused the President of deep involvement in Watergate,, condemned him for letting Mitchell and others take the blame, and demanded he resign.  She was not taken seriously because of her impulsiveness and heavy drinking.   Her unrelenting sense to do what was right for the country was still a major catalyst in her life.
          Martha Mitchell, today a national heroine, died almost alone and abandoned.  At her funeral was an arrangement of chrysanthemums spelling out in block letters the message:  MARTHA WAS RIGHT.   Today, all women who knew her or who read about her courageous attacks on the evil forces in Washington politics, can have an inspirational beacon of light signaling them to advocate for what is honorable.

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