Specialized Information Publishers Association Timeline
SIPA: An Industry/Association Timeline: From newsletters to Web 2.0
Jan. 26, 1977 -- Newsletter Association of America, Inc., was incorporated, consisting of 18 Founding Members who pledged payments of $1,000 in addition to their dues. Those Founding Members still active in SIPA include:
Shirley B. Alexander, Alexander Communications Group
William F. Bland, William F. Bland Co.
Kenneth M. Callaway
Leonard A.C. Eiserer, Business Publishers, Inc.
George P. Lutjen, The Lutjen Corp.
James Marshall, Newsletter Press
Thomas L. Phillips, Phillips Publishing International
In addition, Founding Members Ed Brown (our first president), Al Goodloe, Ray Henry (fourth president), Howard Penn Hudson and David Swit (ninth president) are deceased.
1977
- The first annual meeting held in New York City. This was the Fifth International Newsletter Conference sponsored by the Newsletter Clearinghouse; Howard Hudson opened the conference to mark the transfer of the conference from the Newsletter Clearinghouse to NAA.
- Ed Brown elected NAA's first president
- Howard Penn Hudson presented with Distinguished Service Award
1978
- Kenneth M. Callaway (former owner of Capitol Publications) elected president
- United States Copyright Law went into effect with special terms for newsletter publishers
- Independent Newsletter Association became the Washington Chapter of the NAA. INA led the successful effort to gain access for newsletter reporters to the U.S. Capitol Press Gallery
- Newsletters began to use the Copyright Clearance Center
- National Association of Investment Advisory Publishers and NAA merged
- NAA membership hit 300 mark
- NAA hired Richard Cooperman as Executive Director (from a multiple-management firm)
1979
- Shirley B. Alexander, Alexander Communications Group, was elected president
- NAA hired Frederick D. Goss, first full-time executive director, and set up its first office in the National Press Building in Washington, DC
- International Newsletter Conference held in New York -- 260 in attendance
1980
- Ray Henry (formerly with Plus Publications, Inc.) elected president
- Austin Kiplinger, The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc., honored as Publisher of the Year
- NAA launched the Journalism Awards Program to recognize excellence in newsletter journalism
- Hotline , Volume 4, Number 12, took on red/black on ivory paper format
- NAA filed a statement with the SEC strongly opposing increased regulation of financial advisors
1981
- Thomas L. Phillips, Phillips Publishing International, Inc., elected president
- Arnold Bernhard, Value Line, honored as Publisher of the Year
- USPS announced rate increase from 15¢ to 18¢ in early part of year, and an additional rate increase to 20¢ effective November 1
- Hudson Newsletter Directory listed over 2,300 newsletters and stated that at least 1,000 newsletters were launched during the decade of the 1970's
- NAA held first Special Publishers Conference in St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.
1982
- George Lutjen, The Lutjen Corp., elected president
- Communications Daily first newsletter ever to be delivered by satellite
- Hotline headline "Electronic Publishing: State of the Art;" NewsNet became operational
- Paul Levin introduced Publiphile Subscription Management System to industry
- 343 delegates attended International Newsletter Conference in Washington, DC
- NAA moved one block North to the Colorado Building during National Press Club renovation
- A legal defense fund established to support efforts in enforcement of Copyright Act with regard to illegal copying of newsletters
1983
- James Marshall, (formerly with Government Information Service, now with Newsletter Press), elected president
- Newsletter Publishers Foundation established to increase the visibility of newsletter journalism
- Association's name changed to the Newsletter Association, recognizing the increasingly international aspect of membership
- 9-digit zip code introduced
1984
- Lawrence Ragan, Lawrence Ragan Communications, elected president (the first president outside of Washington, DC or New York)
- Denny Griswold, formerly publisher of Public Relations News , honored as Publisher of the Year
- More than 400 people attended the International Newsletter Conference in Washington, DC
1985
- David Swit, Washington Business Information, Inc., elected president
- Albert Warren, Warren Communications News, honored as Publisher of the Year
- First-class postage increased to 22¢
- Financial newsletters won unanimous decision in U.S. Supreme Court case, Lowe vs. SEC Publishing
- Newsletter Publishers Foundation published first Career Guide to distribute to college journalism programs
1986
- Tod Sedgwick, (formerly with Pasha Publications, Inc.,) elected president
- Glen King Parker, The Institute for Econometric Research, honored as Publisher of the Year
- SEC canceled financial newsletter registrations
1987
- Karen Coburn, Cutter Information Corp., elected president
- Kenneth M. Callaway honored as Publisher of the Year
- Foundation established the Ed Brown Scholarship fund in honor of the Association's and Foundation's first president
- Association moved to Arlington, VA
1988
- Richard Thompson, Thompson Publishing Group, elected president
- George Lutjen, The Lutjen Corp., honored as Publisher of the Year
- First-class stamp increased to 25¢
- Association held record-breaking International Newsletter Conference with 441 attendees
- I.F. Stone keynoted conference, and used his honorarium to set up the Glasnost Fund to assist Russian publishers
1989
- Paul Warren, Warren Communications News, elected president
- Thomas L. Phillips, Phillips Publishing International, Inc., honored as Publisher of the Year
- First Financial Operating Ratios Survey completed
- Prepublication Review service with Ross, Dixon & Masback, L.L.P. (now Levine Sullivan Koch & Schulz, L.L.P.) was created
- NA delivered equipment to Soviet publisher
- The Association's name changed once more to Newsletter Publishers Association
- The Foundation established the Howard Penn Hudson Scholarship
1990
- Barrie Martland, MPL Communications, Toronto, elected president (the first president outside of the United States)
- David Swit, Washington Business Information, Inc., honored as Publisher of the Year
1991
- Jerry Huss (formerly publisher of CPA Services) elected president
- Howard Penn Hudson, Newsletter Clearinghouse, honored as Publisher of the Year
- Canadian publishers struggled with Goods and Services Tax
- Warren Communications News received six figures in a copyright settlement
- Postage jumped to 29¢ for first-class stamp
- Foundation launched media campaign to increase visibility of newsletter journalism
1992
- John Wills, The Wills Group, elected president
- Tod Sedgwick, formerly Pasha Publications, honored as Publisher of the Year
- NPA celebrated 15th anniversary with cocktail reception at headquarters
- Washington Business Information, Inc., won $150,000 judgment for copyright infringement
- International Newsletter Conference in DC drew 589 attendees
1993
- Jim Sinkinson, Infocom Group, elected president
- Larry and Shirley Alexander, Alexander Communications Group, honored as Publishers of the Year
- NPA dues structure changed from number of newsletters to newsletter-related revenue (and hasn't increased since!)
- Foundation announced scholarships for NPA member employees or their children
1994
- Allie Ash, Newsletter Holdings, elected president
- Lawrence Ragan, Lawrence Ragan Communications, honored as Publisher of the Year
- Thomas Phillips, Phillips Publishing International, Inc., first member to be awarded the Newsletter Publishers Foundation Hall of Fame award
- NPA assisted Canadians with postal battle
- Board established Special Working Groups
- Fred Goss left NPA after 15 years of service
- Leonard Eiserer donated $50,000 to Foundation to sponsor the Northwestern Study of the Newsletter Industry
- NPA board adopted its first mission statement
- Patricia Wysocki named executive director
1995
- Mike Mealey, Mealey Publications, Inc., elected president
- NPA won group registration battle for daily newsletters with the Library of Congress
- NPA launched electronic bulletin board system
- Northwestern Study results introduced at International Newsletter Conference
- NPF honored Len Eiserer, Business Publishers, Inc.; Andrew Elston, NewsNet; and Al Warren, Warren Publishing; as recipients of the Foundation's Hall of Fame awards
- First-class rate stamp increased to 32¢
1996
- Thomas Thompson, Phillips Business Information, Inc., elected president
- Leonard A.C. Eiserer, Business Publishers Inc., and Ash Gerecht, CD Publications, honored as Publishers of the Year
- Foundation granted $18,500 in scholarships
- Postal reclassification was approved
- NPA submitted written testimony regarding National Information Infrastructure Copyright Protection
- NPA joined Mailers Technical Advisory Committee (an advisory committee to the Postmaster General)
- 20th International Newsletter Conference drew 856 attendees
1997
- NPA celebrated its 20th anniversary on January 27, 1997
- David Foster of The Institute of Management & Administration elected president
- Barrie Martland, MPL Communications, Inc. inducted into the NPA Hall of Fame
- Bruce Levenson and Ed Peskowitz, United Communications Group inducted into the NPF Hall of Fame
- 21 st International Newsletter Conference drew a record 900 publishers, staff and industry suppliers
1998
- Helen Hoart, Consumer Health Publishing Group, elected president
- Allie Ash, Newsletter Holdings, LLC, inducted into the NPA Hall of Fame
- Foundation granted $10,000 in internships
- David Swit raised a record $65,750 for Foundation
- Congress passed Digital Millennium Copyright Act
1999
- Jim Muntz, WD&S Publishing, elected president
- Mike Mealey, Mealey Publications, inducted into the NPA Hall of Fame
- Foundation honored David Swit at International Newsletter Conference
- Financial Advisory Publications celebrated victory over the CFTC
- First Class stamp increased to 33¢
- Focus of December Marketing Conference expanded to include Electronic Publishing
- NPA Board of Directors voted to change the name of the association to Newsletter & Electronic Publishers Association and foundation change name to Newsletter & Electronic Publishers Foundation
2000
- Robert Williford, Pinnacle Publishing, Inc., elected president
- David Foster, Institute of Management & Administration, inducted into the NEPA Hall of Fame
- Shirley Alexander elected into NEPF Hall of Fame
2001
- Marjorie Weiner, American Lawyer Media, elected president
- Jim Sinkinson, Infocom Group, inducted into the NEPA Hall of Fame
- Allie Ash elected into NEPF Hall of Fame
2002
- James Flanagan, HCPro, elected president
- Leslie Norins, PubWorld, Inc., inducted into the NEPA Hall of Fame
2003
- Robert Jenkins, Health Resources Publishing, elected president
- Al Goodloe, Direct International, inducted into the NEPA Hall of Fame
2004
- Dan Oswald, M. Lee Smith Publishers LLC, elected president
- Jim Marshall inducted into the NEPA Hall of Fame
2005
- Ira Mayer, EPM Communications, Inc., elected president
- Bruce Levenson & Ed Peskowitz of UCG are inducted into the NEPA Hall of Fame
2006
- Nancy McMeekin, Oakstone Publishing LLC, elected president
- Patti Wysocki inducted into the NEPA Hall of Fame
- NEPA Board of Directors voted to change the name of the association to Specialized Information Publishers Association (SIPA) and foundation change name to Specialized Information Publishers Foundation (SIPF)
2007
- Richard M. Ossoff, Strafford Publications Inc., elected president
- Helen Hoart inducted into the SIPA Hall of Fame
2008
- Wayne Cooper, Greenhaven Partners, elected president
- Margie Weiner inducted into the SIPA Hall of Fame
- Henry Greene named executive director
2009
- Ed Coburn, Harvard Health Publications, elected president
- Helmut Graf inducted into the SIPA Hall of Fame
- SIPA partners with SIIA and Marlin and Associates to reform the Captal Content Network breakfast speaker series
2010
- Guy Cecala, Inside Mortgage Finance Publications, Inc., elected president
- Robert Jenkins inducted into the SIPA Hall of Fame
