All with a little help

Ever think of the influence others have had in your life?

When I went to college, I had no idea or hope that I would become a journalist.

I took a college course in journalism, mainly so I could learn to write.

Things went well, and my journalism professor, Helen Wilson, encouraged me to take a follow-up course.

Late in my sophomore year I got a call from Jack Scudder, editor of the local daily paper to drop by for a visit.

Wilson had encouraged Scudder to hire me to write for the paper.

I had become editor of the college paper and had written some for it.

After about an hour’s visit, Scudder offered me a job.

There was a bit of fear and trembling, probably by both of us.

After the first morning, I went into Scudder’s office to admit that writing for the paper was a mistake. He explained to me that he was editor and would make the decision about that. He said to write like I was carrying on a conversation, and that he would edit my copy.

I learned much later that he didn’t even have a budget to cover my salary. He had had to plead with the owner (a man named Kalb) on several occasions.

I also learned that my journalism professor had pleaded for the paper to give me a little more time to develop.

Scudder was also in my corner and so I got a reprieve.

Later, Scudder would come to my rescue again. In the spring of my senior year I became very ill from a ruptured appendix. I was hospitalized for 15 days.

Scudder saw that my salary continued even though I was unable to work. By that time I had three small children, so he was really a life saver.

After I returned to work, I started a series of feature stories about Idaho athletes for the United Press International.

The stories were noticed by the owner/publisher of The Idaho Statesman in Boise, Jim Brown. He asked a third party, my college professor, to get in touch with me and to ask me to come to Boise.

I went to see him, and after a long chat he offered me a job. Brown explained that he didn’t like hiring someone away from smaller papers, but if I was interested I had a job.

Well, the pay was double what I was making, so I took the step.

Brown explained that his reporters traveled a lot and that he expected them to go first class.

This was tested when the paper sent me to cover the Rose Bowl game. A woman in bookkeeping was designated to help make arrangements for travel. 

Brown asked me where we were staying in the L.A. area. He said that he would have arrangements made for the Hollywood Hotel.

Brown regularly stayed in L.A. for several weeks in the winter and said he would send a driver to pick us up so we could do a few things together.

Brown had a real temper and could create a wall of silence in the newsroom when he became displeased.

On occasion, I took my turn in the barrel. He would often explode and then ask the person to come have breakfast with him.  

Brown had a person in Ontario, Oreon go through the paper every day and mark up mistakes and then have someone go over them with you.

But he was a fair person, and did everything he could to make you successful.

All this to show how many people come along the way to make things work out for you.

A few years later we worked our way to Bothell where I took a position managing a newspaper operation. This time the owner made it possible or me to take long periods off to travel and write, so three long trips to Asian countries became possible.

We get to where we are through the help and confidence others have in us, so we owe a lot to these people. These are only a few instances of how others helped me along.