Mother of Invention: The Untold Story of Agnes Wahl Nieman and the Creation of the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard

For many journalists, a year of study at Harvard as a Nieman Fellow is a springboard to groundbreaking achievements: Philip Meyer pioneered computer-assisted reporting, Geneva Overholser unleashed a debate about the naming of rape victims, Robert Caro elevated the art of biography with his book-length studies of political power. To celebrate the Foundation's 75th anniversary, Nieman Reports published the first-ever profile of Agnes Wahl Nieman, whose bequest made the Nieman Foundation possible. The story, by New York Times Magazine contributing writer Maggie Jones, details Mrs. Nieman's life and times and explores the controversy around her contested will. 'Mother of Invention' also features an essay by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Julia Keller on the impact of the Nieman Foundation and stories about their craft by 75 Nieman Fellows, among them pioneers in documentary filmmaking and investigative journalism. The book also offers videos of the Foundation's 75th anniversary celebrations, including talks by Harvard professors Jill Lepore, William Julius Wilson, Nicco Mele, and Nancy Koehn, among others.