MCLEAN, Va., Sept. 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Al Neuharth, USA TODAY founder and former chair and chief executive officer of Gannett Co., Inc., addressed more than 1,200 guests and staff at a reception at USA TODAY's headquarters in McLean, Va., on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the nation's newspaper. Founded in 1982, USA TODAY's launch was the most expensive and closely watched newspaper debut in history; 25 years later it is the nation's top selling newspaper.
Following are Al Neuharth's remarks. What a difference 25 years has made!
That unforgettable night of USA TODAY's vol. 1, no. 1, I stood on a platform on the Capitol grounds with the President of the United States, the Senate Majority Leader and the Speaker of the House.
Tonight ... well, I'm here tonight with the best editor [Ken Paulson, editor and senior vice president, News, USA TODAY], the best publisher [Craig A. Moon, president and publisher, USA TODAY] and the best media company boss [Craig A. Dubow, president and chief executive officer, Gannett Co., Inc.] in the United States.
I'm overwhelmed by how many of you are here. Now I finally understand why Doug McCorkindale and Larry Miller kept bugging me about USA TODAY being overstaffed!
I see so many of you I'd like to thank by name individually publicly for all you've done to help McPaper make it. But if I did, this would go on all night. So, as I told several of you earlier this week, I won't mention any names.
I realize the risk that runs with the press east of the Potomac and east of the Hudson. Apparently there's already been a leak. A source -- who requested to remain anonymous (of course) -- told me earlier that one major newspaper has prepared a story draft for tomorrow that begins like this:
"Neuharth didn't mention any of the hundreds present by name. He appeared not to recognize them. Now 83, he looked frail and confused. A source close to him, who requested to remain anonymous (of course), said he suffers from 'Grandiose Delusional Disorder'."
That sent me to your library to the Merck Manual of Medical Information. This is Merck's definition of Grandiose Delusional Disorder: "Convinced that he has some great talent or has made some great discovery."
So, that newspaper may finally get it right! Remember, 25 years ago most of our media friends said that I was just plain nuts and predicted USA TODAY would be a great disaster, not a great discovery!
That's enough attempts at humor. Let me now get serious.
There's another birth date tomorrow that's even more important than that of the nation's newspaper.
Frank E. Gannett was born on Sept. 15, 1876 -- 131 years ago -- a poor country kid near Canandaigua, N.Y., population 11,000.
His first job was delivering the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle in Canandaigua. After attending Cornell on a full scholarship, he worked in newsrooms in Ithaca and Elmira. But he dreamed big. At age 29, he invested $20,000 -- nearly all of it borrowed -- to buy one-half interest in the Elmira Gazette. His brilliant leadership built that investment into the Gannett empire.
So, as we celebrate this 25th anniversary of USA TODAY, let's not forget how this great company started.
On the 131st anniversary of his birth, please join me in a stirring tribute to the founder of it all, Frank E. Gannett.
USA TODAY, the nation's top-selling newspaper, will be celebrating its 25th anniversary on September 15th, 2007. It is published via satellite at 36 locations in the USA and at four sites abroad. With a total average daily circulation of 2.3 million, USA TODAY is available worldwide. USA TODAY is published by Gannett Co., Inc. . The USA TODAY brand also includes: USATODAY.com, an award-winning news and information Web site that is updated 24 hours per day; USA TODAY Sports Weekly, a magazine for enthusiasts of college and professional football and baseball; USA TODAY Mobile, offering up- to-the minute news and information on a variety of mobile platforms and devices; and USA TODAY LIVE, the television arm of the USA TODAY brand that brings the spirit and quality of the newspaper to television.
