Barbara Olson

American lawyer (1955–2001)

Theodore Olson
(m. 1996)

Barbara Kay Olson (née Bracher; December 27, 1955 – September 11, 2001) was an American lawyer and conservative television commentator who worked for CNN, Fox News Channel, and several other outlets.[1] She was a passenger on American Airlines Flight 77 en route to a taping of Bill Maher's television show Politically Incorrect when it was flown into the Pentagon in the September 11 attacks.[2]

Early life

Olson was born Barbara Kay Bracher in Houston, Texas, on December 27, 1955. Her older sister, Toni Bracher-Lawrence, was a member of the Houston City Council from 2004 to 2010. She graduated from Waltrip High School.[3]

Personal life

She married Theodore Olson in 1996, becoming his third wife.[4]

Olson was a frequent critic of the Bill Clinton administration and wrote a book about then First Lady Hillary Clinton, Hell to Pay: The Unfolding Story of Hillary Rodham Clinton (1999). Olson's second book, The Final Days: The Last, Desperate Abuses of Power by the Clinton White House was published posthumously.[5]

Death and legacy

Olson's name on Panel S-70 of the National September 11 Memorial’s South Pool, with other passengers of Flight 77.

Olson was a passenger on American Airlines Flight 77, on her way to a taping of Politically Incorrect in Los Angeles, when it was flown into the Pentagon in the September 11 attacks.

Her original plan had been to fly to California on September 10, but she waited until the next day so that she could wake up with her husband on his birthday, September 11.[2] At the National September 11 Memorial, Olson's name is located on Panel S-70 of the South Pool, along with those of other passengers of Flight 77.[6]

Three months after the attacks, Olson's remains were identified. She was buried at her family's retreat in Wisconsin.[7]

In popular culture

  • Canadian actress Marsha Mason portrayed Barbara Olson in the Canadian TV series Mayday Season 16: Episode 2 (2016) called "9/11: The Pentagon Attack" and Air Crash Investigation Special Report Season 2: Episode 1 (2019) called "Headline News".

Books

  • Olson, Barbara (November 1999). Hell to Pay: The Unfolding Story of Hillary Rodham Clinton. Regnery Pub. ISBN 0-89526-274-6.
  • Olson, Barbara (October 2001). The Final Days: The Last, Desperate Abuses of Power by the Clinton White House. Regnery Pub. ISBN 0-89526-167-7.

References

  1. ^ Lewis, Neil A. (September 13, 2001). "Barbara Olson, 45, Advocate And Conservative Commentator". The New York Times.
  2. ^ a b composerguy (April 7, 2008). "What Barbara Olson Knew". Archived from the original on November 23, 2021 – via YouTube.
  3. ^ "Waltrip Trivia Page". Waltrip High School. February 22, 2011. Archived from the original on August 31, 2012.
  4. ^ Argetsinger, Amy & Roberts, Roxanne (October 22, 2006). "Napa Nuptials for Olson and His Lady". The Reliable Source. The Washington Post. Retrieved August 19, 2009.
  5. ^ Olson, Barbara (October 25, 2001). The final days: the last, desperate abuses of power by the Clinton White House. Regnery Pub. ISBN 9780895261670.
  6. ^ South Pool: Panel S-70: Barbara K. Olson Archived July 27, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. Memorial Guide: National 9/11 Memorial. Retrieved December 11, 2011.
  7. ^ "Ted Olson on loss and love in the decade since 9/11". The Washington Post. September 11, 2011. Archived from the original on September 12, 2011. Retrieved September 13, 2021.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Barbara Olson.
  • Barbara Olson at IMDb Edit this at Wikidata
  • Appearances on C-SPAN Edit this at Wikidata
  • Barbara Olson at Find a Grave Edit this at Wikidata
  • Wife of Solicitor General alerted him of hijacking from plane
  • Barbara Olson Mourned at Arlington Service[dead link]
  • Barbara Olson: A Sparkling Celebrity 'Full of Energy' Newsday.com-Victims Search
  • Alfred S. Regnery (September 17, 2001). "Barbara Olson, RIP". Human Events/BNet Research Center.
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