Chronicle's Kate

While the San Francisco Examiner was celebrating its 50th year under William Randolph Hearst the San Francisco Chronicle was celebrating its first week of Kate McGrorey O'Connor.

For 25 years Mrs. O'Connor was a tower of moral strength in the San Francisco Police Department. Part of her job was to keep her door open to the less criminal among the city's unfortunates, listen to their stories, advise them. Last month she reached the Department's retiring age, 63, and found that the law made no provision for pensioning a policewoman. The Chronicle thereupon invited her to become its Director of Social Service, privately interview and assist readers with troubles more grave than the heart, publicly comment on their letters in a daily column.

Last week when the Chronicle inaugurated Mrs. O'Connor's bureau, every bigwig from Mayor Angelo J. Rossi down had a good word for her as she tackled her first day's work: Advised a jobless old woman how to find a home, helped a mother control a wayward son, offered suggestions to aid a man with a brother in San Quentin, rescued the residents of a trailer camp from ousting by health officials. Starting the other half of her job, Columnist O'Connor wrote:

"When people come to see me, they won't walk down a hall past uniformed policemen to the office of Policewoman Kate O'Connor. They'll be coming in to see their friend, Kate O'Connor. ... In my time I have met all kinds of people and listened to all kinds of stories. . . . I have never been shocked at anything. ... I never think of myself as judge. . . . Please remember, you aren't coming to a police officer. My files will always be locked. I will talk to you alone. . . . It's so easy to get in trouble and so terribly hard to get out of it. . . ."

Quipped the Chronicle's Rhymester Kevin Wallace:

The Chronicle deems it an honor To give to you Mrs. O'Connor; Ourself, we shall go When ideas run low To thrust all our problems upon her.

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