Beyond the Byline: Erma Bombeck's Story

Writer. Housewife. Feminist. Humorist. Mother. Columnist. Pioneer. University of Dayton alumna.

Erma Bombeck (1927–1996) was a trailblazing humor writer who lived both inside and outside of the world she wrote about. Her focus on the lives of housewives and stay-at-home mothers mirrored her own life as a wife and mother; however, through her career as a bestselling author and syndicated columnist, Bombeck embodied another choice for women—that of working mother. She supported women’s equality not only through her writing, but also through political advocacy for the Equal Rights Amendment. While suburban housewives were her primary audience, men, single women without children, and others related to her witty observations.

This exhibit, which ran from Feb. 1 through June 15, 2024, in the University of Dayton Roesch Library, showcased highlights from the Erma Bombeck Papers, housed in the University Archives.

Curator: Kristina Schulz, University Archivist
Writer: Beth Nevarez