Visitor Editors Through the Years

Story by Celeste Ryan Blyden

This year marks the 125th anniversary of our beloved Columbia Union Conference Visitor magazine. Starting in 1895 in the Ohio Conference as The Welcome Visitor, it has evolved under the helm of 30 known editors.

No editor was listed during the first few years of publication. Copies of the four-page, black and white journal seem to indicate a joint publishing effort by conference leaders. They charged 35 cents for an annual subscription, that was to be paid up front. 

In the December 31, 1902, issue, Volume 6, No. 55, H. H. Burkholder, the president of the Ohio Conference, announced that there would be some changes.

It would be printed bi-weekly instead of weekly. It would henceforth be printed at Mt. Vernon Academy. And Professor N. W. Lawrence would serve as editor. 

Lawrence served for almost two years before the first woman, Bessie Russel, took the helm.

The longest serving editor, Warren F. Adams, served for 30 years.

Following is a list of the editors who shepherded the Visitor through the years:

Visitor Editors List (1903-1919)

• January 14, 1903 – September 28, 1904                    N.W. Lawrence
• October 5, 1904 – December 30, 1908                      Bessie E. Russel
• January 20, 1909 – June 16, 1909                              Mrs. S. M. Butler
• June 30, 1909 – July 6, 1910                                       D. D. Rees
• July 13, 1910 – October 23, 1912                               Maude Pengelly
• October 30, 1912 – May 14, 1913                              Walter Moffett
• May 21, 1912 – July 1, 1914                                       Grace V. Purdham

• July 8, 1914 – June 8, 1916                                         Olive Krum-Hagmann
• June 15, 1916 - June 12, 1919                                    Emma Silber, Editor
•  June 19, 1919 -   July 29, 1920                                   Sara K. Rudolph
• August 5, 1920 – July 21, 1921                                   Emma S. Newcomer
• July 21, 1921 - April 9, 1925                                       Ruth E. Melendy
• April 16, 1925 – June 18, 1925                                   Genevieve L. Melendy
• June 25, 1925 – October 20, 1927                             Robert B. Wheeler
• October 27, 1927 – August 2, 1928                            E.W. Tonjes
• August 9, 1928 – September 27, 1928                       E.R. Corder
• October 4, 1928 – September 8, 1932                       A.J. Olson
• September 15, 1932 – September 22, 1938              A.B. Cole        
• September 29, 1938 – December 26, 1968               Warren F. Adams
• January 10, 1969 – May 24, 1973                               Morten Juberg
• June 7, 1973 – June 3, 1976                                       Charles R. Beeler
• June 3, 1976 – June 2, 1977                                       Elane Rogers
• March 10, 1977 – June 12, 1980                                Franklin W. Hudgins
• June 26, 1980 – August 15, 1984                               Ernest N. Wendth
• September 1, 1984 – June 1, 1986                             Ron Graybill
• June 15, 1986 – August 1, 1991                                 Kermit Netteburg
• August 15, 1991 – June 1, 1998                                 Richard Duerksen
• August 1, 1998 – December 15, 2001                        Monte Sahlin
• January 15, 2002 – March 4, 2014                             Celeste Ryan Blyden
• March 4, 2014 – June 9, 2016                                    Beth Michaels
• September 12, 2016 – Present                                   Celeste Ryan Blyden

List compiled by Michele Joseph, Nicole Labiche and Shirley Rowley

Source: https://www.adventistarchives.org/
Sample Issues: http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Periodicals/CUV/CUV19011010-V05-21.pdf