Richard M. Ketchum | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1922-03-15)March 15, 1922 |
| Died | January 12, 2012(2012-01-12) (aged 89) |
Richard Malcolm Ketchum (1922–2012) was an American historian and magazine editor who co-founded the magazineCountry Journal.
Ketchum was born inPittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on March 15, 1922, to George and Thelma Patton Ketchum.[1] He received his secondary education atShady Side Academy inPittsburgh.[2] He went on to graduate fromYale College in 1943 with a degree in American history.[1] DuringWorld War II, Ketchum served as commander of a Navy submarine chaser in the Atlantic.[2][3]
After the war, Ketchum moved to the US state ofVermont.[3] There he obtained various jobs. He owned an advertising agency until 1951 and worked at theU.S. Information Agency[1] andThe Orvis Company.[3] After seeing a new opportunity, he left for New York city[3] and was employed at theAmerican Heritage Publishing Company from 1956 until 1974. As an editor,[4] he wrote 33 articles forAmerican Heritage Magazine.[5]
In 1974, Ketchum returned toDorset, Vermont and adapted a farming lifestyle. There, he co-foundedCountry Journal with William S. Blair.[6][7] The two men shared a commonality in that they both worked in the publishing industry inManhattan, NYC before moving to the state of Vermont, in which they opted to start a farm.
In 1972, Ketchum and Blair banded together and decided to establish a magazine of their own. Their initial budget was $205,000, composed of $170,000 from their friends and $35,000 from the co-founder's savings. With this funding, they kickstarted the magazine production.Country Journal's coverage ranged from guides to opinion pieces on energy policies.[7]
The magazine was originally dubbedBlair & Ketchum’s Country Journal, but later was shortened toCountry Journal.[1] Before its acquisition later on, the editorial office and the business office were located inManchester, New Hampshire andBrattleboro, Vermont, respectively.[8] The business office was relocated toHarrisburg, Pennsylvania after the transaction.[9]
Initially,Country Journal had difficulties earning a profit. Blair said that he was unable to seek advertisers with high budget in mind and often had to compromise for lower prices.Country Journal struggled to attract authors on the more famous side. Ketchum paid relatively low compensation compared to other magazines at the time, with him giving $200 to $500 per article written.[7]
The magazine was popular, reaching a circulation of under 300,000. By 1972,Country Journal had an editorial team of eight.[7] It received aNational Magazine Award in April 1975.[7] In 1984, the magazine company Historical Times Inc. acquired the magazine for an eight-figure sum. In the year that it was sold, it was estimated that the magazine earned a revenue of $3.3 million.[8] According toThe New York Times, the magazine "offered a blend of the bucolic and the practical, particularly to city folk who had opted for the rural life."[1]
Ketchum spent last 4 years of his life at a retirement home inShelburne, Vermont. He died in January 12, 2012 at the age of 89.[1]
Ketchum had a son and a daughter.[2] HistorianDouglas Brinkley has said that Ketchum was "the finest historian of the American Revolution."[10]
Ketchum was the author of numerous publications involving wars in America.[11]The Borrowed Years, 1938–1941 (1989) describes the events leading up to the bombing of Pearl Harbor.[12] His last book,Victory at Yorktown: The Campaign That Won the Revolution is an account of the battle and unlikely triumph that led to American independence.
Saratoga: Turning Point of America's Revolutionary War is about the invasion where British generalJohn Burgoyne led from Canada during theAmerican Revolution War. It was praised by historianPauline Maier atNew York Times, citing its detail.[11]
