Editor note

The first and my last Harding magazine

July 08, 2022

I still have the agenda for Sept. 16, 1992 — the meeting to plan the first issue of Harding .

The agenda contained such topics as what to call it, how to produce it, what should go in it, and how we wanted it to look.

We were replacing the Harding Bulletin , the newspaper that preceded the magazine. While much had been done to improve the Bulletin , it was time for an upgrade.

The Bulletin was done in the days of typesetting and paste-ups, and the first magazine was produced in the Mac program of choice at the time, Pagemaker. Times were changing, but this was still before digital photos had entered the picture.

We struggled at first with what to call it and finally decided one word says it all: Harding . That’s not to say that we don’t still hear it called the Bulletin . Old habits die hard.

During my tenure, we’ve gone from Pagemaker to Quark to InDesign and from black and white with a color cover to a totally four-color publication. Technology makes so many things possible today that still were being developed when we produced that first issue. But our main goal remains to share the Harding story with our readers.

As I retire after this issue, the editor will be Hailey Pruitt, our copy editor for the last year, and Todd Kiles will be the designer. They will guide this magazine well into the future.

I look forward to watching every issue tell the Harding story better than the last.

Tom Buterbaugh, editor/designer

Categories: Editor note

Comments

Vanessa Bearden July 12, 2022 7:51 PM

Dear Tom, You likely do not remember me, but I fondly remember working in the PR Office in the late 90s as an intern and it is hard to imagine that so much time has gone by that you will now be leaving. Thank you for the kindness and encouragement you showed me as a student, something that I try to remember as I interact with student interns today working in a similar capacity as you for Lubbock Christian University. Not many people realize the amount of work that goes into a magazine—it is so easily tossed around and discarded—but that photo of Harding magazines over the years represents a lifetime of dedicated work, filled with long hours and stress to meet deadlines. Thank you for producing such quality and beautiful content for so long.
Tom Buterbaugh September 16, 2022 3:53 AM

Vanessa, of course I remember you! I appreciate your kind words more than you know. I knew you went to work for Howard but lost track of you through they years. Lubbock is blessed to have you. If you ever come back to Searcy, please look me up. God bless.
Sara Brown July 13, 2022 5:10 PM

Dear Tom: As alumni (1964) of Harding both my husband and I have enjoyed getting news of Harding and its people. Thank you for the part you played in the publishing of both the bulletin and the magazine. We trust your influence and mentorship will live on. God bless the next chapter of your life. Sara Brown
Tom Buterbaugh September 16, 2022 3:56 AM

Thanks so much for your kind words. It has been an honor to share the Harding story.