By AMY RABIDEAU SILVERS
Sept. 6, 2006
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=492922

http://graphics.jsonline.com/graphics/news/img/sep06/meyer090706.jpg
Newell G. Meyer

Newell G. Meyer was a student at Marquette University when he took a
part-time job as a tour guide at The Milwaukee Journal.

That was in 1936. The next year, he was offered a job as a promotion
copywriter and researcher, working full-time while finishing his degree.

Meyer eventually retired from the promotion department - the same one
he began working for as a tour guide - but by then he was the boss. In
addition to serving as promotion and research director, he was named
to the board of directors and became a vice president of the company.

Through it all, he believed "working with people and getting them
motivated" was his most important accomplishment.

Meyer died Aug. 31, of complications from injuries suffered in an auto
accident. He was 90.

In his extracurricular life, Meyer was known as a history buff. He
served as a curator of the Wisconsin Historical Society board and on
its executive committee. He served on other society committees,
including the one that led to the development of Old World Wisconsin,
the outdoor historic museum near Eagle.

In 1982, Meyer offered a gift of $200,000 toward construction of an
outdoor amphitheater on the Old World Wisconsin grounds. He first made
the offer anonymously but came forward as the donor when the issue of
future expenses was debated.

He served with the Army Air Corps during World War II. Meyer, who had
an instructor's rating for meteorology, aerodynamics and aerial
navigation, also taught electronics for the military.

Back home, Meyer's roles included serving as the company's consumer
research manager until 1964, with responsibility for the Journal's
longstanding Consumer Analysis project. He also was involved with
special events and promotions, as well as marketing and planning
groups for the Journal and the Milwaukee Sentinel.

"Newell was always a wonderful mentor to me," said Abigail J. Nash,
retired vice president-marketing services director for the company.
"He was willing to cultivate and develop professional women at a time
when that was unusual. I couldn't have had a better teacher."

Mary Riedel, who began working for Newell in 1968, agreed.

"He was a great mentor to young people in the profession, and he was
very supportive of women in the workplace," said Riedel, who was later
named promotions and communications manager. She is now community
affairs manager for the Sun-Sentinel, based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

"Early on, he also recognized the value of new technology," she said.
"I think he was a visionary that way."

Meyer lectured at Marquette University and taught a University of
Wisconsin-Milwaukee class on marketing research and sales analysis.

In 1977, he served as the first chairman of the Milwaukee Neighborhood
Pride Committee, and then as a member of its steering committee.

He met his wife, Ann Meyer, at work. A widow, she worked in the
company's advertising department. They first made their home in
Wauwatosa, collecting antiques and installing pieces of Milwaukee
history there.

Meyer, who called himself an "old-time scavenger," was excited to
acquire parts of the old Plankinton and Patrick Cudahy mansions, as
well as cherry paneling from the Pillsbury house that once stood on
Milwaukee's east side.

With the help of restoration expert Alan Pape, the Meyers also
acquired a turn-of-the-20th-century log cabin from Michigan,
reconstructing it on their farm in the Town of Eagle.

While Meyer never worked as a newspaper reporter, he did get his share
of bylines. Meyer liked to travel - away from the most famous tourist
destinations, if possible - and wrote about his travels in Eastern
Europe and Russia.

Professional honors included the Byline Award from the Marquette
University College of Journalism. A former president of the
International Newspaper Promotion Association, Meyer received its two
highest honors: the Silver Shovel Award for promotion and the Sidney
S. Goldish Award for research.

Ann Meyer died in 2004.

Visitation will be held from 10 a.m. today until the funeral service
at noon. Both will be held at Wisconsin Memorial Park, 12875 W.
Capitol Drive, Brookfield, in the Family Center (South Chapel).

--
Gotta Find My Roogalator