Dorothy is the only woman in history who has had her menopause in public and made it pay.

Alice Roosevelt Longworth’s quote, "Dorothy is the only woman in history who has had her menopause in public and made it pay," refers to Dorothy (likely Dorothy Thompson, a prominent journalist and writer), highlighting her public persona and the way she handled personal matters with open transparency. Longworth, known for her sharp wit and often biting commentary, points out the unusual nature of Thompson’s openness about her menopause, a personal experience that was typically considered private or even taboo for women at the time.

The phrase "had her menopause in public" suggests that Thompson did not shy away from discussing this intimate and often stigmatized phase of a woman's life. By doing so, she not only challenged societal norms but also brought attention to a topic that was rarely discussed openly. Longworth admires that Thompson turned a deeply personal experience into a form of public dialogue, which allowed her to capitalize on it in the context of her career and influence.

The latter part of the quote, "made it pay," underscores the idea that Thompson used her openness and vulnerability to her advantage. Rather than being something that hurt her reputation, her willingness to talk about menopause became a part of her brand and public appeal. In this context, "making it pay" can be understood as Thompson leveraging the attention and conversation surrounding her personal life to further her career and public visibility.

The origin of this quote lies in Alice Roosevelt Longworth’s own reputation for sharp commentary and keen observations of the lives of other prominent women of her time. As the daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt, Longworth was well-known for her political influence and wit, often making remarks about the societal roles of women. Her comment about Dorothy Thompson reveals both her admiration for Thompson’s ability to turn a private experience into public capital and a critique of the way society views women's experiences, particularly the way they are expected to handle certain life transitions.