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Best known for establishing one of the most successful US publishing empires, Henry R.
Luce exerted his influence on public opinion through a legacy of magazines, such as Time (est. 1923), Fortune (1930), Life (1936), and Sports Illustrated (1954).
Henry R. Luce - Grasping a Vision and Running Away With It
A Presbyterian missionary's son, Luce was born in China and studied at several boarding schools there as well as in England. He learned independence at a young age by traveling to Europe by himself at age 14. He first set foot in America at age 15 to study at the Connecticut institution, Hotchkiss School.
Between classes, he waited tables and worked himself up to editor-in-chief of the Hotchkiss Literary Monthly. He then studied at Yale University, where he was voted Most Brilliant, graduating in 1920.
His publishing career actually began at Hotchkiss where he met the person who would eventually become his business partner for many years, Briton Hadden. Hadden was editor-in-chief when Luce was still the school paper's assistant managing editor. In college, Luce was managing editor to Hadden's chairman at the Yale Daily News.
The partners were very different in temperament and interests, but Luce once referred to Hadden and himself as an organization. Luce said that everything each one had belonged to the other.
The two struck out separate paths when Luce went on to Oxford University to study history and work for the Chicago Daily News, while Hadden worked at the The Baltimore News . But the separation was brief. By Christmas 1921, Luce had joined Hadden's paper.
The young friends used to spend nights brainstorming a newsmagazine concept. Both men of action, they left the Baltimore paper to form Time Inc. (1922). Despite falling $14,000 short of raising their desired capital of $100,000, they nonetheless put out the first issue of Time in March 1923.
On this single publication, Luce built an empire of successful magazine brands. Sadly, Haddon did not live long enough to see the maiden release of their second successful publication, Fortune, passing away as he did in 1929. In time, Henry Luce was able to build a large communications empire that comprised eight radio and TV stations, a couple of publishing companies, and a stake in the Time-Life high-rise at Rockefeller Center.
The Henry R. Luce Quick Bio
Full name: Henry Robinson Luce
Birth date: April 3, 1898
Birthplace: Dengzhou, China
Company: Time-Life Publications Inc.
Industry: Publishing or Print Media
Key success traits: Enthusiasm and courage to carry out a vision; credibility; excellent branding skills.
Additional:
When Time Inc. was launched, Luce was business manager to Hadden's editor-in-chief. During each succeeding year, the friends alternated between themselves the posts of president and secretary-treasurer. When Hadden, barely in his 30s, passed away in 1929, Luce took on the permanent post of president.
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