MEMO from the publisher

Late in 1953 aTIME Inc. editor wrote a memo. He was part of an experimental project aimed atthe publication of a new magazine.

"The world ofsports," his memo said, "is a wonderful world. Few fields offer morechallenging opportunities for fine reporting, fine writing and finephotography.

"Nopublication anywhere has ever attempted to cover this whole exciting world.

"To besuccessful in the field of sport a magazine must be the sports magazine, notjust a sports magazine. It must bring the reader the best reporting, the bestwriting, the best pictures, the best adventure, the best counsel, the besteverything."

Vol. I, No. 1 ofSPORTS ILLUSTRATED appeared in August 1954. From then until now, 294 issueslater, the author of the memo and the Managing Editor of SPORTS ILLUSTRATEDhave been one and the same. No man has been more responsible for the extent towhich SPORTS ILLUSTRATED has succeeded in approaching the high and alwayselusive ideals he set forth six and a half years ago; none has pursued themmore intently.

Last week TIMEInc. announced the appointment of Sidney L. James as Publisher of SPORTSILLUSTRATED and the appointment of Andre Laguerre to succeed him as ManagingEditor. For readers familiar with this magazine, it may seem redundant to sayanything more about Sid James. In a real sense you have been meeting him inthese pages every week.

As he becomesPublisher, James completes nearly a quarter century with TIME Inc. A native ofSt. Louis, he attended Washington University. In 1936 he joined the New Yorkstaff of TIME as a NATIONAL AFFAIRS writer, later was chief of news bureaus inChicago and on the West Coast. For three years preceding the birth of SPORTSILLUSTRATED he was Assistant Managing Editor of LIFE. And before all of that heplayed a pretty good second base for the Rock Island Railroad—on weekends.

In this spacefrom here on, it will be Sidney L. James. This departing Publisher, about totake new duties involving production of TIME Inc. publications, could not askfor better than that, because, to borrow some words, he is the best.

PHOTO

SIDNEY L. JAMES