4 inducted into press hall of fame

PORTLAND – A pioneering female journalist in Washington and a former president of The New York Times Co. are among the four newest members of the Maine Press Association’s Hall of Fame.

New inductees honored Friday at the MPA’s annual Hall of Fame dinner included the late May Craig, who for 33 years covered Washington and the White House for the Portland Newspapers.

Known for her trademark flowered hats, Craig was a familiar figure on NBC-TV’s “Meet the Press” and at President John F. Kennedy’s televised news conferences.

She challenged the all-male membership tradition of the National Press Club, and lobbied successfully for a women’s washroom near the press gallery in the Capitol.

Other new inductees include:

. Walter E. Mattson, a former linotype operator at the Portland Press Herald who joined The New York Times as assistant production manager in 1960 and worked his way up to president 19 years later.

. Alexander Bacon “Sandy” Brook, former editor and publisher of the York County Coast Star.

. Barbara N. Yeaton, longtime correspondent for the Lewiston Sun Journal and the Franklin Journal.