heart of southern life, the

Dear Friend,

I am so pleased to present to you the December issue of Southern Living. As we close the magazine's 40th-anniversary year, I thought you might be interested in learning a little about the folks who have led and nurtured Southern Living since its start. The first editor, Dr. O.B. Copeland, helped birth a magazine that was, at the time, based on a concept polar opposite to contemporary popular thoughts about the South. His magazine would write about the good things happening across the region. When the magazine launched in February 1966, many folks outside the South didn't see much positive about it. It's easier for me today, but my goal remains the same: I want the pages of Southern Living to showcase all the wonderful things our region and its people have to offer.

In May 1969, Gary McCalla, a strong-willed journalist and photographer from Oklahoma, became editor. Gary focused the magazine into four departments: travel, gardens, homes, and foods. He always made sure that the staff stayed on task by asking the question: "What's Southern about it?" When I became editor in early 1991,1 knew we had to keep writing about the good life of the South even as we expanded our readership. I hope we have succeeded.

While the editorial group produces the content, the publisher is in charge of the business side of the magazine. I am proud to say I have personally known all six of our publishers, three of whom still work for our parent company today. I would be remiss in this salute if I did not mention our first publisher, Emory Cunningham, who, in the early days when times were tough, held firm to the vision of what Southern Living could be for its readers. After Emory, Jim De Vira took the helm and developed the presence of Southern Living in the national marketplace. He introduced the special sections in which we explore the single topics that many of you currently enjoy. Bud Flora followed Jim as publisher, making his mark by building our travel section into an industry leader. Even today, Bud helps us by attending travel meetings. Scott Sheppard, now an Executive Vice President, served during the early 1990s. He encouraged Southern Living to become more than just a magazine by helping to create programs for the public to enjoy beyond the printed page. Kevin Lynch was next, and under Kevin we published our first 400-page issue. Now, Kevin oversees Sunset, our sister publication on the West Coast. Leading the magazine today are Senior Vice President Greg Keyes and Publisher Rich Smyth. Just last year Rich, who has been our publisher since 2000, moved to Birmingham with his family. Rich and Greg are as committed as I am to bringing you the best magazine, programs, and innovative ideas for life in today's South.

On behalf of President and CEO Tom Angelillo, Greg, Rich, and the editorial staff, I thank you for reading Southern Living each month. We appreciate your support.

Best regards,

John Alex Floyd, Jr., Editor

John Alex Floyd, Jr., Editor

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Dec 2006
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