KATHY RASSULI
Kathy was an indefatigable worker for the marketing history movement. She was an associate editor of the Journal of Macromarketing, a long time co-editor of this newsletter, a co-chair of many marketing history conferences and a frequent contributor to our literature. Those of us who had the opportunity to work with her or to spend time with her at meetings know of the charm, courtesy, friendliness, and warmth that she brought to all of her human interactions. She will be greatly missed.
She was the eldest child in a large family. One of her sisters told us that she was always the leader in any situation, she would always say lets get on with it. In that sense we hope that the forthcoming Ninth Conference, itself, although saddened by her absence, will be a tribute to her desire to get on with it.
In accordance with her family's wishes, contributions in honor of Kathy should be sent to the IP Foundation, c/o Dean's Office, Indiana Purdue University @ Fort Wayne, 2101 Coliseum Blvd. East, Fort Wayne, IN 46805. Please mark the checks, In Memory of Professor Kathleen M. Rassuli from the Marketing History Conference on the memo line. Each individual donor will receive an appropriate receipt and acknowledgment from the Foundation.
NINTH CONFERENCE PROMISES SCHOLARLY EXCITEMENT, COLLEGIAL NETWORKING AND COMFORTABLE RELAXATION
The international group of marketing historians who will gather at MSU's Kellogg Hotel and Continuing Education Center for the Ninth Conference from May 13 to 16, 1999, will listen to about 30 - 35 presentations.
Two major after dinner talks have been scheduled. Thursday evening, May 13, Professor Robert Lusch of the University of Oklahoma, editor of the Journal of Marketing, will talk on "What is the purpose of marketing?" During this talk Dr. Lusch will also describe the new Management Horizons archives placed in the Bass Management History Collection in the University of Oklahoma library. Management Horizons is, as many RIM readers know, a major retail and distribution consulting firm established by William Davidson and now incorporated as a division of the Price Waterhouse accounting and consulting firm. Two papers on Dr. Davidson's career will be presented in the competitive paper section by Brian Jones and Robert Tamilia. Davidson also plans to attend. Dr. Lusch is extremely well known in marketing academic circles. We anticipate an exciting session.
Dr. Pamela Laird, Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Colorado-Denver, author of the recent book Advertising Progress: American Business and the Rise of Consumer Marketing (John Hopkins University Press, 1998), and the book review editor of Culture and Technology, will speak at the Saturday, May 15 dinner. Dr. Laird has published extensively on the development of the American consumer culture. She was a participant in the 1985 Second Conference on Historical Research in Marketing and Marketing Thought.
On Friday, May 14, after a visit to the MSU School of Packaging and a discussion of the history of packaging education, we will adjourn to the University Museum for a purely social dinner and event. We also expect some industry presentations during the weekend to be announced in the final program.
The competitive paper flow has been very good. Advanced reading indicates that the coverage will be very wide and the quality will be appealing. Some papers will suggest a recasting of our views about early marketing thought. Others will take us into the development and marketing of particular products and industries. Still others deal with such varied topics as consumer behavior, advertising practice, regulation and taxation. It is now too late to submit papers for the Conference, but all who wish to attend and participate in the discussions are, of course, extremely welcome. We can probably arrange session chair slots or discussion posts for those who need to be listed on the program to obtain institutional support. Please call the Marketing History Conference at Department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management, Michigan State University, (517) 353-6381, fax (517) 432-1112, e-mail send to dixonr@pilot.msu.edu. Conference registration fee for participants is $200.00 (students $160.00) and includes all meals Thursday dinner through Sunday breakfast, refreshments, meetings and social events, and conference proceedings. Rooms at Kellogg Hotel, (517) 432-4000, are $79.00 plus tax, single or double, until May 1. Be sure to advise that you are attending the Marketing History Conference. Professor Peggy Cunningham, of Queens University, will edit the conference proceedings. Special thanks are due to Professor Diana Twede, of the MSU School of Packaging, who has been responsible for all local arrangements. Stan Hollander and Terry Nevett are conference program co-chairs. We thank our academic sponsors: The Department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management in the Broad Graduate School of Management and the School of Packaging at Michigan State University, the Academy of Marketing Science and the Journal of Macromarketing. We owe an especial debt to our industry sponsors, the Institute of Packaging Professionals and the Packaging Education Foundation.
