Year of induction

2006 Inductees

Richard N. Cabela
Inducted 2006
Dick Cabela founded Cabela’s, the World’s Foremost Outfitter of hunting, fishing and outdoor gear in 1961, (www.cabelas.com). The company produces more than 76 different catalogs per year, including specialty books focusing on such outdoor pursuits as archery, fly-fishing and boating, as well as massive Spring and Fall Master catalogs. Internationally known as a source of affordable, high-quality outdoor equipment, Cabela’s catalogs are shipped to all 50 states and 120 countries. More than 120 million catalogs are mailed each year with demand continuing to grow. In 2001, the Cabela Catalog was ranked as the fifth most popular catalog, behind such direct-mail giants as J.C. Penney and Sears, in a Consumer Shopping Survey administered by catalog Age magazine. Recent awards include: Shot Business magazine’s 2002 Retailer of the Year; Sporting Goods Business magazine 2002 Specialty Retailer of the Year, and BizRate.com 2001 Circle of Excellence Award for outstanding web site performance over the holiday season. Yet another chapter in the company’s history began June 25, 2004, when Cabela’s “CAB” made its debut on the New York Stock Exchange.

Donald Kuhn
Inducted 2006
Donald Kuhn, who passed away in 2005, began a career in nonprofit fundraising in the early 1950’s. He joined what is today the American Lung Association, starting out working for their Chicago Affiliate. Eventually his success there, in the Florida affiliate and in Michigan, led to a position at the national headquarters as head of their fundraising divisions. During that time, Don developed major innovations that today’s fundraisers take for granted. His long tenure in the American Lung Association fundraising program had a powerful impact on direct mail testing and the refinement of direct mail practices. In 1979, Kuhn accepted a position with the Walter Karl Company as senior vice president of the fundraising division. In his years with Walter Karl, he influenced many of today’s outstanding fundraising professionals, clients, and vendors. In 1993 Kuhn assumed a consulting position with May Development Services where he continued his mentoring and consulting work, emphasizing exemplary donor management and sound fundraising practices.

John F. Temple
Inducted 2006
John F. Temple is president and CEO of Guideposts, publisher of Guideposts, one of the nation’s largest paid circulation magazines. In addition to its flagship publication, Guideposts provides a variety of inspirational magazines, books, and related products and ministry programs to nearly 15 million people every month. Headquartered in Carmel, NY, Guideposts has editorial offices in New York City and Chesterton, Indiana. Temple has been active in many business and community associations. He has served as chair of the Direct Marketing Educational Foundation (DMEF), and on DMA’s Board of Directors. He has also served on numerous DMA committees, including the Nominating Committee, Compensation Committee, and Executive Committee. In 1994, he served as DMA’s Chairman of the Board. Temple was also past chair of the Circulation Marketing Committee of the Magazine Publishers of America (MPA). Temple has served on the Board of Education of the Carmel Central School District in New York, serving as president for five years. He completed a 12-year tenure as a trustee of the Northern Westchester Hospital Center in Brewster, NY and Health Quest, a regional hospital group in the Hudson Valley.

2005 Inductees

MARTIN EDELSTON
Inducted 2005
From a business in his basement 30 years ago, Marty Edelston built Boardroom Inc into a multimillion-dollar publishing empire responsible for newsletters such as Bottom Line/Personal Bottom Line/Health, Tax Hotline and Bottom Line/Tomorrow. Bottom Line Books, the company's book division, is recognized as one of the largest sellers of one-shot mail order books in the country. His innovations in creative, editorial and product development have earned him widespread recognition among his peers.

THOMAS J. LITLE
Inducted 2005
For more than 35 years, Tim Litle has played a critical role in the growth and evolution of direct marketing. As the founder of Litle & Co., he was a pioneer in the development of payment processing and e-commerce systems for direct marketers, and played a key role in the creation of what eventually became the USPS Carrier Route Presort System. Litle is a past member of the DMA Board of Directors and its Executive Committee. He helped found the DMA's Privacy Task Force, and is past chairman of The DMA's Committee on Ethical Business Practice, and a Board member of the Direct Marketing Educational Foundation.

EDWARD J. SPIEGEL
Inducted 2005
Ted Spiegel is professor emeritus of integrated marketing communications at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. Spiegel began his career in direct marketing in 1957 in the Spiegel "family business" that mailed its now famous first catalog in 1905. In leadership roles within the company until 1987, he helped to cement its reputation as one of America's leading catalog marketers and change what originally was a budget-minded chain store-type catalog into an upscale "department store in print." In 1987, Spiegel was instrumental in developing the curriculum and establishing Medill's graduate direct marketing program - the first in the nation - where he expanded direct marketing as a discipline of study. He helped develop the Fourth Quarter Professional Residency for Academic Credit, which today is a key part of Medill's integrated marketing communications program. As founder and president of Spiegel Marketing Associates and a current partner with the Callahan Group, Spiegel has worked as a consultant to businesses, government entities and nonprofits since 1987. His expertise in catalog marketing and business strategy has helped clients ranging from Walt Disney to Reader's Digest to the Library of Congress. As a professor emeritus in service, Spiegel remains active in the Residency program at Medill.

2004 Inductees

DAVE FLORENCE
Inducted 2004
Founder and chairman of Direct Media, Greenwich, CT, developed the first direct mail prospecting database, which is still in use by business-to-business mailers today. A former lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps who holds a master’s degree in business from Columbia University, Dave Florence began his career in 1955 at IBM, where he was a data processing sales representative. He later became the national sales manager of the automated productions division at Royal McBee Corporation.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
Inducted 2004
One of America’s greatest minds and a pillar of our national heritage, Benjamin Franklin is famous for being a scientist, an inventor, a statesman, a philosopher, an economist — and a direct marketer. Well known are his inventions including bifocals, the Franklin stove, and the lightning rod as a conductor of electricity. In addition, he is believed to have been the first cataloger in the United States.

2003 Inductees

HERSCHELL GORDON LEWIS
Inducted 2003
Principal of Lewis Enterprises, a direct response consulting company headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, FL. A leading authority on direct response copywriting, Herschell Gordon Lewis provided numerous marketers with the rules, formulas, and techniques for writing effective direct marketing copy for traditional and online media.

FREDERICK J. SIMON
Inducted 2003
Executive Vice President and member of the Board of Directors of the combined group of Omaha Steaks companies. Under his direction, Omaha Steaks became the nations's largest direct-response marketer of gourmet steaks and frozen foods and a leader in all facets of multichannel direct marketing, including direct mail, catalogs, telephone marketing, and e-commerce. Simon persuaded UPS to deliver packages in spite of their perishability. He served as a member of The DMA Board of Directors from 1972 to 1978 and as a Trustee of the Direct Marketing Education Foundation

2002 Inductees

JOCK BICKERT
Inducted 2002
Responsible for advancing marketers ability to target customers more accurately. Credited with introducing marketers to the concept of advanced analytics to drive database performance, the use of data to create customer profiles and market analysis, and the use of self-reported demographic and lifestyle data for use in generating targeted lists.

JONAH GITLITZ
Inducted 2002
Served as president & CEO of the Direct Marketing Association (The DMA) from 1985 to 1996. During his 12 years of service, DMA membership increased from 1,800 to over 3,000. Expanded government activities at the federal and state levels, broadened ethics and consumer affairs programs, and instituted The DMA's Telephone Preference Service (TPS). Launched a twice-yearly Consumer/Industry Dialogue between DMA members and state and local consumer protection officials across the country.

ROBERT D. "BOB" KESTNBAUM
(1932 - 2002)
Inducted 2002
Recognized as a leader in formulating, applying, and popularizing new concepts and approaches as sophisticated database/interactive marketing technologies evolved. Founded the direct, database, and Internet marketing management consulting firm Kestnbaum & Company in 1967. Credited with the advancement of such database and interactive marketing concepts as standardization of direct marketing arithmetic, calculation and application of customer long-term value, applying database marketing methods and analyses to improve and measure general marketing and media usage, applying sophisticated financial modeling and statistical techniques to marketing challenges, and defining longitudinal or horizontal contact strategy.

RALPH LANE POLK II
(1882-1949)
Inducted 2002
Fueled the rapid growth of automotive direct marketing in the 20th century. His revolutionary efforts to pursue, compile and transform automotive owner registrations into a powerful direct marketing tool was instrumental in developing strong customer relationships for automobile manufacturers, automotive dealers,aftermarket companies, and other automotive businesses.

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2001 Inductees

HENRY REED "PETE" HOKE, JR.
(1920 - 1998)
Inducted 2001
Direct marketing educator and advocate who dedicated his career to advancing the direct marketing industry. Publisher of Direct Marketing Magazine, Friday Report and Fund Raising Management

WILLIAM NORTH "BILL" JAYME
(1925 - 2001)
Inducted 2001
Legendary copywriter whose direct mail letters revolutionized the direct marketing medium. Famous for his "Cool Friday" letter for Life Magazine. Together with his partner Finnish designer, Heikki Ratalahti, transformed direct mail and launched hundreds of magazines and newsletters.

MURRAY ROMAN
(1920 - 1984)
Inducted 2001
Acknowledged founder of professional telemarketing and an instrumental force in its worldwide growth. Founded Campaign Communications, Inc., one of the earliest and largest telemarketing agencies specializing in creating innovative telemarketing programs for companies.

DR. MICHAEL OTTO
Inducted 2001
Chairman of the Otto-Handelsgruppe mail order company which is the second-largest online trader in the world. Was the first mail order firm and catalog (founded in 1950) to sell goods for invoice in Hamburg, Germany, and also the first to connect front-end and back-end operations.

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2000 Inductees

ROBERT L. HEMMINGS
Inducted 2000
Visionary behind database marketing; created four successful advertising agencies; helped form the first direct marketing club in Los Angeles.

MAX L. HART
Inducted 2000
Widely recognized leader in non-profit direct marketing; tireless advocate for legislative and regulatory issues in Washington and States.

EMILY F. SOELL
Inducted 2000
Mail order innovator and direct mail creative expert; widely recognized award winning copywriter who achieves breakthrough results; sought-after speaker.

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1999 Inductees

EDWARD C. SMITH
Inducted 1999
Founder and President of National Wholesale Company, a mail order and retail business, and a champion of the direct marketing industry.

JIM KOBS
Inducted 1999
Founder, Chairman & CEO of Kobs Gregory Passavant. A leading authority in direct marketing, accomplished author, speaker and agency executive.

EDDIE BAUER
(1899-1986)
Inducted 1999
A retailer and catalog pioneer. Founder of Eddie Bauer's Sport Shop in 1920. In 1954 launched the Eddie Bauer Inc. catalog featuring outdoor gear and apparel.

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1998 Inductees

THOMAS S. FOSTER
(1929-1996)
Inducted 1998
Pioneer direct marketer, entrepreneur, philanthropist, founder and former President & Chairman, Foster & Gallagher, Inc.

RICHARD S. HODGSON
Inducted 1998
Leading authority on catalogs and a prolific author on direct marketing subjects. President of Sargeant House providing direct marketing consulting and catalog development services to leading firms throughout the world.

ROBERT J. TEUFEL
Inducted 1998
Publisher, direct marketer, environmentalist, civic leader and President and Chief Operation Officer of Rodale Press, Inc.

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1997 Inductees

JOAN THROCKMORTON
(1932 - 2003)
Inducted 1997
Direct marketing consultant, mail order innovator, direct mail creative expert, teacher and author, whose clients have included leading consumer publishers, manufactures and service companies. Established her own marketing and advertising agency in 1970 - Throckmorton & Associates, Inc.

WALTER H. WEINTZ
(1916-1997)
Inducted 1997
Longtime circulation director at The Reader's Digest Association, who helped launch The Reader's Digest Condensed Book Club and later, Time-Life Books. Created innovative direct mail promotions and was a mentor in the direct marketing community. Established his own agency, The Weintz Company.

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1996 Inductees

LEE EPSTEIN
Inducted 1996
Lee Epstein is chairman and founder of MAILMEN Inc., which handles more than 1 million pieces per day. He is a founding member of the U.S. Postmaster General's Mailers Technical Advisory Committee, and is considered one of nation's leading experts in postal affairs.

MIRIAM BAKER LOO
(1914-2000)
Inducted 1996
Founder of the multi-million-dollar stationery and check printing firm Current, Inc., Miriam Baker Loo initiated the first mail order products used for fundraising in 1950. She also pioneered relationship marketing, inviting customers to send in their own recipes for the company's published series of mail order cookbooks.

MAXWELL C. ROSS
(1914-1994)
Inducted 1996 A master at direct mail copywriter, Ross began a 44-year career in direct marketing in the circulation departments of the Des Moines Register and Tribune and Look Magazine, and moved on to insurance direct marketing began launching his own consultancy in 1967.

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1995 Inductees

J. WENDELL FORBES
(1923 - 1999)
Inducted 1995
A circulation guru in American magazine publishing, J. Wendell Forbes pioneered source evaluation techniques and the "one list" concept for list management over the course of his career at Time Inc., Young & Rubicon, and Guideposts magazine. In 1975, he founded the School of Magazine Marketing.

STANLEY J. FENVESSY
(1918-1994)
Inducted 1995
The architect of many of the nation's leading catalog fulfillment operations, Stanley J. Fenvessy developed and taught principles of fulfillment and customer service excellence to hundreds of direct marketing operations, and designed more than 100 new and expanded mail and telephone order distribution centers.

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1994 Inductees

CORNELIUS F. KEATING
Inducted 1994
A direct marketing professional for more than 40 years, Cornelius Keating developed the negative-option automatic selling method for book and music clubs. He persuaded 19 states not to ban the practice, and persuaded the FTC to establish the Negative Option Rule of 1974.

WILLARD M. KIPLINGER
(1891-1967)
Inducted 1994
Willard M. "Kip" Kiplinger founded The Kiplinger Letter and Changing Times magazine, and launched the Kiplinger Washington Letter in 1923. Over the years, he launched several subscription-based newsletters in targeted segment areas.

ROBERT D. RODALE
(1930-1990)
Inducted 1994
Robert Rodale served as writer, editor, and manager of publisher Rodale Press before becoming its head in 1971. He greatly expanded Rodale's publishing worldwide, launching four book clubs and new magazine and newsletter titles. He also greatly raised the benchmark for prompt fulfillment of purchased published products.

LILLIAN VERNON
Inducted 1994
Catalog entrepreneur Lillian Vernon began her namesake mail order business from her kitchen table in 1958, now a household name known to more than 35 million Americans.

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1993 Inductees

WILLIAM L. HOWE
(1927-1986)
Inducted 1993
William L. Howe served as president of Metromail Corporation from 1969 to 1986, where he built the company into a progressive data compiling and information management firm.

JOAN D. MANLEY
Inducted 1993
Joan Manley's career in book publishing spanned 30 years, including 24 years with Time Inc. and Time-Life Books where she was named first woman publisher in 1970. She established book clubs as a direct marketing staple to publishers worldwide.

JOSEPH M. SEGAL
Inducted 1993
An extraordinary entrepreneur, Joseph Segal launched The Franklin Mint in 1963, following a successful experience selling coins by mail. In 1985, he launched QVC, the largest cable television shopping network.

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1992 Inductees

HARRY AND DAVID HOLMES
(1892-1959) (1890-1950)
Inducted 1992
Harry and David Holmes inherited Bear Creek Orchards in 1914 and established during the Great Depression a business selling pears through mail order. In 1938, they started the Fruit-of-the-Month club.

HAROLD E. MERTZ
(1904-1983)
Inducted 1992 Harold E. Mertz established Publishers Clearing House in 1953, and is known for his innovation as a direct mail copywriter. He revolutionized the way magazines subscriptions are sold by using sweepstakes.

MURRAY MILLER
Inducted 1992
Murray Miller pioneered the use of computers in direct marketing, establishing new industry standards in the use of data processing and marketing, direct-response data entry and fulfillment.

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1991 Inductees

HENRY A. JOHNSON
Inducted 1991
While president & ceo for Spiegel, he transformed the catalog's posture to today's premier woman's fashion catalog - taking annual sales from $260 million to more than $1 billion a year.

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1990 Inductees

STAN RAPP
Inducted 1990
Stan Rapp is the co-founder of Rapp & Collins, now Rapp Collins Marcoa, one the world's largest direct-response advertising agencies. He is also a noted author, teacher and theorist - and has published leading books on the practice of direct marketing.

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1989 Inductees

GEORGE S. CULLINAN
(1911-1963)
Inducted 1989
George Cullinan was the first to recognize the significance of databases as a foundation for successful direct marketing, and, as early as 1961, promoted the use and understanding of "recency, frequency, monetary" (RFM) customer data analyses.

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1988 Inductees

VICTOR O. SCHWAB
(1898-1980)
Inducted 1988
One of the top copywriters of all time, and the founder of Schwab & Beatty, the foremost direct response agency of its day, Victor O. Schwab wrote the famous headline for Dale Carnegie, "How To Win Friends and Influence People."

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1987 Inductees

DeWITT WALLACE
(1889-1981)
Inducted 1987
Wallace relied upon direct-response to build Reader's Digest to more than 17.5 million subscribers. A philanthropist and humanitarian, Wallace with his wife, Lila Acheson Wallace, received the U.S. Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award.

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1986 Inductees

ANGELO R. VENEZIAN
(1912-1985)
Inducted 1986
A leader in business publishing lists and circulation, Venezian organized and served as first chairman of the Mailers Technical Advisory Committee, a vital link between direct mailers and the United States Postal Service.

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1985 Inductees

L.U. "LUKE" KAISER
(1902-1978)
Inducted 1985
Founder of the Premier Company in Houston in 1925 - a direct mail service firm - Kaiser was among the early adapters of computerized mailing lists, and worked hard to increase direct marketing's acceptance, especially in the Southwest.

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1984 Inductees

NAT ROSS
(1904 - 2000)
Inducted 1984
Nat Ross was among the first educators to develop a direct marketing curriculum. His survey course at New York University has educated hundreds of professionals in the field. He also helped to establish The Direct Marketing Idea Exchange, a monthly discussion group for direct marketing leaders.

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1983 Inductees

LESTER WUNDERMAN
Inducted 1983
A guru in developing direct-response in different media, Wunderman founded today's Wunderman Cato Johnson, one of the world's largest direct response and integrated communications agencies. A theorist, Wunderman is regarded as the first to have coined the term "direct marketing" in the 1960s.

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1982 Inductees

JOHN CAPLES
(1900-1990)
Inducted 1982
A legendary Madison Avenue copywriter, Caples wrote the famous magazine direct-response headline "They Laughed When I Sat Down at the Piano." Author of Tested Advertising Methods and Making Ads Pay.

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1981 Inductees

JOHN D. YECK
(1912 - 1999)
Inducted 1981
A partner in the Dayton, OH-based Yeck Brothers Group direct-response agency, Yeck serves as the chairman and spokesperson for the Direct Marketing Educational Foundation.

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1980 Inductees

LEWIS KLEID
(1907-1984)
Inducted 1980
When mailing lists were hard to find, Kleid launched one of the first mailing list brokerage firms, The Kleid Company in 1948. Kleid was among the co-founders of the Direct Marketing Educational Foundation.

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1979 Inductee

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1978 Inductees

ROBERT COLLIER
(1885-1950)
Inducted 1978
A master of direct-response letter writing, Collier was among the first members of the Direct Marketing Club of New York, then called the 100 Million Club, a collection of expert copywriters who met regularly for professional exchange.

REUBEN H. DONNELLEY
(1864-1929)
Inducted 1978
Donnelley established the Yellow Pages classified telephone directory in Chicago in 1886. He recognized and promoted the use of telephone subscriber lists for direct mail.

HENRY HOKE, SR.
(1894-1970)
Inducted 1978
Early crusader for direct mail, Hoke published one of the first trade magazine covering the business, now today's Direct Marketing. He developed a trade show that drew audiences in excess of 75,000 a year, and helped co-author the industry's first code of ethics.

MILES KIMBALL
(1906-1949)
Inducted 1978 Kimball was a Wisconsin-based mail order and direct mail expert. He helped to found the Third Class Mail Association, now today's Advertising Mail Marketing Association. The prestigious annual award of the Mail Advertising Service Association bears his name.

EDWARD N. MAYER, JR.
(1909-1975)
Inducted 1978
A dean among direct marketing educator, Mayer taught hundreds of people in the direct marketing field, including a host of today's leaders. His talents were the cornerstone of the Direct Marketing Educational Foundation in its early efforts.

O.E. McINTYRE
(1888-1967)
Inducted 1978
An innovator who pioneered demographic selection, merge/purge, and mailing lists on punched cards and computer tape, McIntyre founded his own company, the forerunner to today's Metromail Corporation.

JOHN H. PATTERSON
(1844-1922)
Inducted 1978
Patterson was a business-to-business direct marketing pioneer who turned troubled National Cash Register into an industrial giant. As early as 1890, he used direct mail to generate leads for NCR salesmen. By 1920, he had built a customer lists of 1 million names.

LEONARD J. RAYMOND
(1898-1985)
Inducted 1978
Raymond established Dickie-Raymond, believed to be the first direct-response advertising agency, in Boston in 1921. During the 1930s and 40s, he developed scientific measurement to determine direct-response effectiveness.

NICHOLAS SAMSTAG
(1903-1968)
Inducted 1978
Samstag was a Time magazine promotion manager who combined innovation and showmanship to market both circulation and print advertising effectively. The techniques he first employed in the 1940s are still in use today.

HARRY SCHERMAN
(1887-1969)
Inducted 1978
A gifted copywriter, Scherman used the mail to launch in 1916 the Little Library Corporation which sold 40 million low-priced miniature-sized book editions. He assisted Sackheim in the launch of the Book-of-the-Month Club.

RICHARD W. SEARS
(1863-1914)
Inducted 1978
Sears used his talents as an entrepreneur to build a shipment of watches refused by a local merchant into one of the world's largest mail order firms - and by far the largest of its day. Pioneered several direct mail marketing and fulfillment techniques.

AARON MONTGOMERY WARD
(1843-1913)
Inducted 1978
The founder of Montgomery Ward & Co., Ward gave birth to modern mail-order era with the launch of a single-sheet "catalog" listing 28 items in 1872. His 12th catalog featured the first money-back guarantee, a cornerstone of today's direct marketing.

JOHN HOWIE WRIGHT
(1872-1957)
Inducted 1978
An early crusader of direct mail trade magazines, Wright used excess printing capacity of his printing business to establish Postage and the Mailbag. The magazine provided a platform and support for the fledgling Direct Mail Advertising Association which had formed a few years earlier in 1917 years earlier in 1917.

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