9TH CONFERENCE PLANS FORGE AHEAD!
SMITHSONIAN MAG RECOGNIZES MARKETING HISTORY
The Smithsonian, the fascinating magazine produced by the museum of the same name contains at least two articles in its October, 1997, issue that are of interest to marketing historians. One is the biography of REI—Recreation Equipment Incorporated, the Pacific Coast based sporting goods retail giant. It was founded 60 years ago when Lloyd Armstrong imported inexpensive, high quality ice axes from Austria for his Seattle mountain climbing pals. The Smithsonian claims that REI is now the largest consumer cooperative in the United States. RIM wonders whether some cooperative electric or telephone utilities might not actually be larger on some measure, but in any event REI is an outstanding success. REI recently opened a 21st century state-of-the-art store that provides customers with all sorts of interactive testing opportunities including a wet chamber and a simulated rock climbing peak.
In 1986 REI published a company history, 50 Years of Climbing Together by Harvey Manning, which is now out of print but which may be available through interlibrary loan. The second article deals with an exhibit of envelopes sponsored by the National Envelope Manufacturers Association. Many items display advertising or other commercial messages. The exhibit is more or less on permanent view at the National Postal Museum located in the old Post Office building near Union Station in Washington D.C.
MACRO EVENTS AT J. MACRO MARKETING
The Bureau of Business Research at the University of Colorado, Boulder, under the direction of Charles Goeldner has been responsible for the publication of the Journal of Macromarketing since its inception. Now ownership of the Journal has been transferred to Sage Publications, one of America's leading (probably the leading) publishers of scientific and academic journals. It should be well known to marketers for, among other things, its long run publication of the Administrative Sciences Quarterly and more recently, JAMS. Chuck Goeldner and his people have done a wonderful job in giving JMM a base in the marketing world. Now Sage can focus its resources on expansion of the Journal's position in the literature. As the number one outlet for marketing history materials, JMM's progress is vital to all of us.
In another unrelated move, Robert Nason (Michigan State University) has finished 10 years of service as JMM's second general editor. Among Bob's many accomplishments during this long and successful tenure has been the incorporation of abstracts of the Marketing History Conference papers into JMM and the development of a special marketing history section. Bob's stellar performance should be matched by his equally distinguished successor, Professor Luis Dominguez of Florida Atlantic University.
AN OCTET OF THANKS
Since she remains a very hard worker for the marketing history movement, we certainly do not say farewell, but we pause to thank her for her very substantial contribution to RIM. Publication will continue from East Lansing with flashes received from literary agent, Ranger Roger, and edit backing from the Marketing and Supply Chain Management Department support staff. As always, news, personal items, contributions, and short editorials are both invited and encouraged even though they remain in perennial short supply.
