download the PDF version - Noble and Greenough School

developmentClass of 1963 Celebrates 50 YearsThis May, the Class of 1963 celebratesits 50th Nobles Reunion.Recent conversations amongclassmates revealed a sharedappreciation for the power of wordsand images, as well as an entrepreneurialspirit. Several graduatesin particular found a way to parlaywriting and photography intocareers as journalists, editors orpublishers. The following is a brieflook at some of their stories.Ever since he drove his ’61 Corvette upthe driveway at 507 Bridge Street, “Lifehas been a succession of supercars, speedcontests and automotive events,” writesDavid Colman ’63. “I don’t think manyof the teachers appreciated my havinga flashy sports car as a student. But,man, it was fun to drive!” It may strikepeople as odd that a man with master’sdegrees in English and art history spenthis life as an automotive journalist, butColman turned his love of words andfast cars into his life’s work. “If you dothe math, you’ll see that I’ve driven andanalyzed more than 1,300 new vehiclesfor a variety of publications, includingAutoWeek, MotorRacing, The SanFrancisco Chronicle, Corvette Magazine,Sports Car International, Brimmer, andCarReview.com.”After falling in love with the Porschebrand in 1969, Colman began purchasingand racingthese carsthroughout the’70s and ’80s. In1987, he launchedExcellence, amagazine dedicatedto Porscheand the brand’senthusiasts. Twenty-five years later, inthe age of dwindling print circulation,Excellence still boasts a loyal readershipof 40,000, and Colman remains a partowner. “I devoted 17 years to nurturingthis publication, acting in variouscapacities as editor, feature editor andracing editor, writing hundreds of piecesabout new Porsches and old legends. Ithink my favorite was a look back at howJames Dean died in his RS Spyder in1955. I called the piece ‘Rubble Withouta Pause.’” Looking back on his Noblesexperience and how it contributedto his career as a journalist, he says,“In retrospect, I hold Sid Eaton in thehighest esteem because he was the bestNobles had to offer. I learned more fromhim about clarity in thinking, writingand phraseology than I ever did fromanyone else. And that includes four yearsof tutorials in college, plus five more ingraduate school.”Like Colman, RipCunningham ’63chose a career inpublishing. Afterwriting for SaltwaterSportsman “asa diversion frombusiness school,”Cunninghamjoined the magazine’s editorial staff inthe early ’70s and eventually bought thepublication in 1976. As an avid outdoorsman,running the publication allowedhim “to combine an avocation with avocation, and I did pretty well at it.” Overthe years, the subscription base grew,and circulation eclipsed 200,000 with “apass-along readership in the millions.”Magazines like Excellence and SaltwaterSportsman are known as niche publications,and, as Cunningham notes, “thereadership was extremely loyal to ourproduct. They were people who weretotally wacko interested in saltwaterfishing. Ad revenues were strong becauseour readers bought stuff.“When I took over the magazine, Ihad a vision of what the magazine couldbe. At the time, it covered all things saltwater.”After World War II, sportfishingchanged, and a shift from shore fishing todeep-sea and tournament fishing beganto occur. “We recognized a trend andnarrowed the magazine’s focus.”In 1988, Cunningham sold the magazineto the Times Mirror Corporation.At the time, Saltwater Sportsmanemployed roughly 30 employees andgenerated upward of $16 million inannual revenue. Cunningham remainedon after the sale, and the small publicationwith a vertical focus was the mostprofitable publication by percentage inthe Times Mirror stable. By the time ofthe sale, it had captured 67 percent ofa three-book market. “Our timing wasextremely lucky,” notes Cunningham.“From the late ’70s to the late ’80s, if youcouldn’t make money in marine publications,you probably shouldn’t have beenin the business.”Since stepping away from the businessin 2004, Cunningham has focusedon conservation issues related to managingthe nation’s fisheries. He remainsproud of his work, and like many in thepublishing business, he has witnessedremarkable changes. “The advent ofthe computer changed everything,” hemuses. “It used to take 10 people to layout an issue by hand. A magazine wouldtake up the entire floor of my office.People today would think we were nuts!But I loved going to work.”20 Nobles spring 2013