It is appropriate that this Echo, the first one in
magazine form comes when the publication is
celebrating its eighth birthday.
On February 1, 1940, a small mimeographed
paper was distributed to everyone here. Across
the top of the front page was a string of question
marks for as yet the newborn youngster had not
been named. In that first issue was the announce
ment that a cash prize would be awarded to the
employee submitting the best name.
From Champagne came the name of The Echo,
submitted by Miss Ann Morris, who is now Mrs.
Harold Misenheimer, assistant forelady. More than
250 names were submitted and Miss Elsie Rice
also proposed the name Echo, but submitted hers
a week later than Ann did.
Several other similar names
were turned in, but the judges
decided to stick to the conven
tional spelling of Echo rather
than use Eco, Ecco, or others
proposed.
1 he mimeographed sheet
didn’t last long, for already The
Echo was showing signs of
healthy growth. It was over the
bottle stage, so to speak, and
under the direction of J. O.
Wells, personnel manager. The
Echo became a nice, slick-paper
job published in our own Cham
pagne Job Printing department.
The type was set by the Tran
sylvania Times and those who
were first connected with The
Echo vividly recall those hurried
trips to Brevard to change one
line of type.
Later, Jack Alexander was as
signed to help with the paper and did a good job
until he entered service. In August, 1942, Miss
Justine Williams assumed the post and edited the
paper until May, 1943.
With the able assistance of Mr. Ed Anderson,
publisher of The Transylvania Times, John Evers-
man tackled a job somewhat foreign to his field of
music, but he did the job well throughout the war
years when film, etc., was as scarce as meat and
tires. John continued to serve as editor, in addi
tion to his position as recreation director, until the
present editor was employed in February, 1947,
thus becoming the first fulltime editor.
And now the Echo has taken another big step
forward.
*
Ann Misenheimer, who named The Echo, back in 1940 when
it first appeared, looks over a recent issue, no doubt somewhat
carried away at the growth of the paper since she named it.
2