Richard M. Ketchum

Richard Malcolm Ketchum (1922–2012) was an American historian and magazine editor who co-founded the magazine Country Journal.

Early life

Ketchum was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on March 15, 1922, to George and Thelma Patton Ketchum.[1] He received his secondary education at Shady Side Academy in Pittsburgh.[2] He went on to graduate from Yale College in 1943 with a degree in American history.[1] During World War II, Ketchum served as commander of a Navy submarine chaser in the Atlantic.[2][3]

Career

After the war, Ketchum moved to US state Vermont.[3] There he obtained various jobs. He owned an advertising agency until 1951 and worked at the U. S. Information Agency[1] and The Orvis Company.[3] After seeing a new opportunity, he left for New York city[3] and was employed at the American Heritage Publishing Company from 1956 until 1974. During his stay with the company, he wrote 33 articles for American Heritage Magazine.[4]

Country Journal

In 1974, Ketchum returned to Dorset, Vermont and adapted a farming lifestyle. There, he became the co-founded Country Journal with William S. Blair.[5][6] The two men shared a commonality in that they both worked in the publishing industry in Manhattan, 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, which included $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.[6]

The magazine was originally dubbed as Blair & Ketchum’s Country Journal, but later in its life, the name was shortened to Country Journal.[1] Before its acquisition later on, the editorial office and the business office were located in Manchester, New Hampshire and Brattleboro, Vermont, respectively.[7] The business office was relocated to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania after the transaction.[8]

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.[6]

The magazine was popular, reaching a circulation of under 300,000. By 1972, Country Journal had a editorial team of eight.[6] It received a National Magazine Award in April 1975.[6] In 1984, 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.[7] According to The 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]

Late life

Ketchum spent last 4 years of his life at a retirement home in Shelburne, Vermont. He died in January 12, 2012 at the age of 89.[1]

Personal life and legacy

Ketchum had a son and a daughter.[2] Historian Douglas Brinkley has said that Ketchum was "the finest historian of the American Revolution."[9]

Published works

Ketchum was the author of numerous publications involving wars in America.[10] The Borrowed Years, 1938–1941 (1989) describes the events leading up to the bombing of Pearl Harbor.[11] 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 general John Burgoyne led from Canada during the American Revolution War. It was reviewed by historian Pauline Maier at New York Times, with her saying that this book delved into the specifics than any other book she have read before.[10]

Revolutionary War Books
  • 1962: Decisive Day: The Battle for Bunker Hill; 1999 pbk edition. ISBN 0805060995.
  • 1973: The Winter Soldiers: The Battles for Trenton and Princeton ISBN 0385054904
  • 1974: The World of George Washington ISBN 0828102678
  • 1997: Saratoga: Turning Point of America's Revolutionary War
  • 2002: Divided Loyalties: How the American Revolution Came to New York
  • 2004: Victory at Yorktown: The Campaign That Won the Revolution

Other books
  • 1965: The American Heritage Book of Great Historic Places
  • 1970: Faces from the Past
  • 1970: The Secret Life of the Forest ISBN 0070344183
  • 1973: Will Rogers: His Life and Times ISBN 0070344116
  • 1989: The Borrowed Years, 1938–1941

Selected articles

References
  1. Hevesi, Dennis (January 20, 2012). "Richard M. Ketchum Dies at 89; Chronicled the Rural Life". The New York Times.
  2. "Richard Ketchum Obituary (2012) - Shelburne, VT". The Burlington Free Press. January 15, 2012. Retrieved 2023-04-22 – via Legacy.com.
  3. "Richard M. Ketchum". Profile. Season 4. Episode 420. January 28, 2005. Public Broadcasting Service. Vermont Public Television. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
  4. "Author Page for Richard Ketchum". AmericanHeritage.com.
  5. Holson, Laura M. (2000-06-30). "William Blair, 82, Co-Founder of Country Journal". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-04-23.
  6. "The Press: Country Slickers". Time. 1975-04-28. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
  7. Dougherty, Philip H. (1984-03-14). "ADVERTISING; Historical Times Inc. Buys Country Journal". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  8. "Country Journal magazine -- a national monthly publication focusing... - UPI Archives". UPI. March 13, 1984. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  9. Publisher description of the book Victory at Yorktown. ISBN 0805073965.
  10. Maier, Pauline (November 16, 1997). "Reversal of Fortune". New York Times. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  11. "Review of The Borrowed Years, 1938–1941 by Richard M. Ketchum". Publishers Weekly. November 1, 1989.


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