Contact: Patricia M. Mikelson
Highlights Corporate Communications
pat.mikelson@highlights.com or 614-324-7003
A GUIDING VISION:
HIGHLIGHTS FOUNDERS GARRY CLEVELAND MYERS, Ph.D., CAROLINE CLARK MYERS AND THE PHILOSOPHY OF HIGHLIGHTS FOR CHILDREN
Both Garry Cleveland Myers and Caroline Clark grew up in Pennsylvania farming families in the early 1900s, then met while attending college — a fitting place for a pair whose love of learning would be the foundation of the company they created together, Highlights For Children, Inc. Caroline taught school while Garry pursued his Ph.D. in child psychology at Columbia University. They married and from that time on, they were partners in everything they did — as parents, as educators and ultimately as creators of their dream, a children's magazine that helped kids have "Fun with a Purpose."
The Myers enjoyed long and productive careers as teachers, lecturers and nationally recognized leaders in education and childhood development. During that time, Dr. Myers authored "Parent Problems," a popular King Features, Inc. syndicated column that was published for more than 40 years in hundreds of newspapers around the country.
The vision
Over a lifetime of study and work with children and parents, the Myers formed a clear vision of what a quality magazine for children should be. They believed, as Highlights does today, that childhood is a joyous time. They felt that children develop positive self-worth by using their creativity and imagination, developing their reading, thinking and reasoning skills and learning to treat others with respect, kindness and sensitivity. They also believed that every child has a great capacity to learn and understand.
From the late 1920s and into the mid-1930s, Garry and Caroline were involved with developing a number of parenting publications. For 10 years, they were the editors of Children's Activities, a popular magazine for young children. In 1946, instead of retiring, they decided to take the next step in their journey to creating a publication designed around their philosophy of "Fun with a Purpose." They took their savings and invested it in their dream, a magazine they named "Highlights," reflecting their intention to include only the best material for children.
Highlights magazine begins
Working in a two-room office over a car dealership in Honesdale, Pennsylvania with a tiny band of co-workers, the Myers created the first issue of the magazine they had long imagined. That first issue ran to 20,000 copies; in June 2006, the one-billionth copy of the magazine rolled off the presses just in time for the company's 60th anniversary.
The Myers' philosophy that children are best taught values by using positive examples in stories and activities is foundational to the magazine. With this idea in mind, Garry created many of the monthly features that still run in today's Highlights magazine, including "Goofus and Gallant," "the Bear Family" and "Brain Play." Also important to the Myers was their belief in the brotherhood of man and respect for differences of all kinds. From the beginning, the magazine has celebrated children's experiences in many different cultures around the world.
Over the course of their lifetime, the Myers received public recognition and awards for their work from the National Conference of Christians and Jews, the Freedoms Foundation, the National Association of Gifted Children and numerous awards for editorial excellence from the Educational Press Association of America. More important to the Myers themselves, and to the company today, Highlights for Children has helped millions of children become their best selves - to explore their world, and become confident and caring individuals.
Highlights today
Today, Highlights For Children is committed to the same values that guided the Myers' work. Their belief that children experience fun and joy when they use their innate creativity, curiosity, thinking ability and imagination and their commitment to the motto "Fun with a Purpose" can still be found on every page of Highlights magazine, and in an expanding family of products, from the new magazine Highlights High Five, aimed at children ages 2 through 6, to the toys in the Highlights Catalog and the book clubs such as Puzzlemania, Top Secret and Which Way USA.
Highlights for Children, Public Relations Office, 614-487-2640