Opinion: SBJ retains virtues of good old days

Unless I have missed someone somewhere, I believe I have been affiliated with SBJ longer than anyone except for Dianne Elizabeth, of course. I’m certain it will be mentioned elsewhere in this anniversary issue that the original name of this newspaper was Top’s Executive Journal; that was still its name in January 1983, when the Rusty Saber took its first stab.

Much has changed in the Springfield business community since 1980. The vibrancy of the growing local economy can be measured every week by the equally vibrant pages of SBJ.

From my vantage point on the opinion page, peeking out at the real business news appearing everywhere else, the secret of SBJ’s success isn’t a secret at all: Appealing, well-written news of interest to readers. That formula will work almost every time it’s tried.

The Rusty Saber began nearly 23 years ago because I wanted to try my hand at something other than academic writing. I’m certain many of my former professional colleagues will gladly agree that I achieved my goal: The Rusty Saber is as far removed from academic writing as one can go. I had no idea it would last this long, but I’m happy it has.

As a bona fide SBJ old timer, I can talk about the “good old days.”

The original newspaper office was upstairs over a shopping center at Sunshine and Pickwick. Dianne Elizabeth and a very small staff kept things going. I would climb the rickety stairs on Friday afternoons, deliver a column for the next week’s issue and pick up a copy of the current issue that was always ready. The drop off-pick up process was as regular as clockwork.

Later, the office was located on Walnut Street near the Landers Theater. There it remained until it moved to the current location on Park Central West, a beautifully refurbished building downtown. While many talented staff members have come and gone over the years, the constant factor has remained: a quality product turned out every week by quality people.

It doesn’t seem possible that 25 years have passed since the first issue. So much has happened since July 1980. To put the timeframe in context, 25 years ago Jimmy Carter was president.

During the summer of 1980, Sen. Ted Kennedy challenged Carter for the Democratic presidential nomination. At about the time SBJ was starting up, Kennedy pulled out as the convention was about to begin. Carter and Walter Mondale were nominated for a second term. Ronald Reagan and George Bush the elder were nominated by the Republicans in July 1980.

Some things never change. The Middle East was in the headlines 25 years ago, when 52 American citizens were still being held as hostages by Iranian militants. The deposed shah of Iran fled from Iran to the United States, then to Egypt, where he died of cancer.

The summer of SBJ’s birth was a lively time. The 1980 Summer Olympic Games began in Moscow. To the chagrin of the athletes involved, the United States, Japan and West Germany boycotted the games because of the Soviet Union’s military intervention in Afghanistan.

On the national business scene, in July 1980, Chrysler Corp. reported the largest loss ever by a U.S. automaker: $536.1 million, a big loss then. GM set a new record this year by losing $1 billion.

Finally, the 1980 Tour de France was won by a rider who would confound even the most sophisticated spell-check system: Joop Zoetemelk. Another reason to cheer for someone with a name like Lance Armstrong.

Added to the above world-shaking events of July 1980 was the founding of the Springfield Business Journal.

A silver-lined Happy Birthday!

Joe McAdoo is former chairman of the communication department at Drury University.