Keeper Of The Mountains by Bernadette McDonald Page A

She was beginning to think seriously about her future now, as various ideas presented themselves. One was to enter the service as an officer in training, providing a chance to go overseas and be attached to the Allied military government. Another option was to gointo State Department work, but when she inquired with the State Department she was told that, although they were impressed with her qualifications, returning veterans would fill any openings.
    Then an offer arrived for a teaching position at the Oklahoma College for Women. The president of the college told her that their goal was the “development of capable young women with beauty of character, personal charm, gracious manners, and social insight, willing and able to perform successfully the duties of life in their generation.” She considered the offer, although it didn’t excite her, in part because of concerns about the overall intellectual atmosphere of the college. But, being practical, she knew it would provide the experience needed to compete successfully against the returning servicemen for good jobs in good universities in the future. Another obvious plus was that the job was permanent, with possibilities for promotion. But the drawbacks were serious: it was a small college in the middle of nowhere, and her mother was dead set against it, skeptical about the quality of life that Oklahoma could provide her daughter. Florelle’s opinion prevailed. After college Elizabeth went, not to Oklahoma, but to New York.
    As often happens when a long period of intensity nears its end, she had had enough of Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan and was ready to leave, vowing that if she did continue with doctoral studies, it would definitely not be in Ann Arbor. Above all, she was tired and needed a break. A time of rest and relaxation at the country home in Dorset was the solution. The only problem was the lack of a job; Elizabeth was a doer and she liked to have a plan of action. Not having one was a worry.

CHAPTER 4
The Fortune Years
    The Sherlock Holmes of the mountaineering world.
    Before I met Elizabeth, many people told me about her attention to detail and dogged insistence on getting things right. It’s her signa­ture style. Heather Macdonald, Elizabeth’s assistant for a couple of years in the 1990s, asserts that Elizabeth insists on knowing the source for every bit of information, grilling climbers to ascertain whether it was 7550 metres or 7555 metres. The climbers might be exhausted and their “brains half-melted” after being at altitude for weeks, Heather remembers, but Elizabeth wouldn’t let up. In time, she came to be affectionately known as the Sherlock Holmes of the mountaineering world. Where did this diligence and attention to detail come from? I wondered. Who taught her these techniques and how did she gain the confidence to cross-examine world-class climbers in such an authoritative manner?
    Independence is another of her strong traits. Living alone most of her adult life, Elizabeth carved out a place for herself in a new and strange environment. Lady Hillary describes her as “one of the original feminists,” adding that she doubts Elizabeth will thank her for saying it. Heather Macdonald is convinced her early self-confidence grew from her insatiable curiosity. If so, it allowed her to evolve into a woman who is comfortable with high-profile climbers, royalty, government officials and writers. She has an innate sense of protocol. I was curious how this young American woman became so worldly. As she recounted the next decade of her life to me, parts of the mystery were revealed.
    Back in New York in 1946, she went job hunting, honours degrees in hand, at a number of organizations and foundations, finally arriving at Fortune magazine, part of the publishing family that included Time, Life and Sports Illustrated . It was her lucky day. They hired her to start immediately as an editorial research