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- Philip Merrill
Weblog - |
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A note from
the Merrills |
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Statement from Vice President
Dick Cheney |
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Note from the Editor's desk - The family feels these articles are very good and would like to share these links: Phil
Merrill, the Skipper Who Was Rarely Becalmed A Force
of Nature Philip
Merrill Colleagues
recall man of complexity Publisher
and diplomat Philip Merrill had powerful friends |
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| -- Comments and incoming posts are updated from here down with most recent on top -- | |||||||
Wednesday 9:12 AM Thursday 4:18 PM Wednesday 8:07 AM Monday 1:54 PM Wednesday 1:15 PM Monday 10:47 PM Monday
6:13 PM Monday
8:30 AM Sunday 5:55 PM Sunday 9:31 AM Friday
5:20 PM Friday 5:01PM I just wished to thank the Merrill family for their candid discussion of the events surrounding Phil Merrill’s tragic death and pass along my sincerest sympathies. A family member of mine took their life last summer and the shame, guilt and anger surrounding the events of their death only compounded the grief of losing a close loved one. I found it very difficult to discuss the reason for their passing, even in response to the most well-intentioned inquiries. I hope your family’s openness will help you all put aside those feelings, which often inhibit the difficult healing process. Your courage has certainly assisted me in reconciling some lingering emotions and I thank you. You will be in my thoughts and prayers. Sincerely, J Raymond Friday 5:10 PM To the Merrill family, colleagues at the Washingtonian and Capital-Gazette, I lived in Maryland for 31 years (1962-93) and read the Washingtonian magazine faithfully every month. When I moved to Atlantic City, N.J., in Feb 1993, I signed up for a subscription. It is my favorite magazine. I enjoyed the wit of Mr. Merrill from events in the city which were discussed. I am very sorry for your loss. Please know you are all in my prayers and thoughts during these difficult days. Robin Rosenberg Aiscowitz Friday 2:37 PM Dear Mrs. Merrill, Cathy, Doug and Nancy, I have fond memories of whitewater canoeing and camping with Phil and the gang on the river banks of West Virginia . I remember Phil in my canoe with no sleeping bag, no tent, no change of clothes and no real food to speak of. On the river bank I talked of life in Severna Park and Phil talked about going to war with Red China. His level of thinking was way up there. The next year, two of your kids went with us and it was at that time that Phil was the United States’ representative to the United Nations Treaty of the Sea. My wife had no clue where I was but Phil's phone in New York was tapped in 14 languages, so the rest of the world knew where we were. I have many wonderful memories and want all to know that Phil will be missed, and we as a family are thinking of the Merrill family in this time of need. Katie and Andy Borland Friday 10:53 AM Until retiring in May 1994, I was associated with the Maryland Gazette in Glen Burnie for 30-plus years. First as a community correspondent, then as a staff writer to replace the late Ruth Motley who transferred to the then Evening Capital. My job was covering what was termed "women's news." At that time the Gazette was published weekly and the office was located in the old post office building on Crain Highway and housed the advertising, circulation and editorial departments. The "newsroom'' was located in the rear of the building and the staff was minuscule. We didn't have a staff photographer so the late Wes Rudiger of Glen Burnie handled most of my photo assignments. When the news broke about the purchase of the newspapers by Philip Merrill, turmoil and rumors were rampant. Everyone would be "let go if it took place." When the sale was finalized everyone was not "let go." But, I had a new publisher, new editor and new assignments. It was a new era. The assignments emphasized local happenings and people. I still handled the obituaries (although I learned to write them differently), the wedding scene, organizational news and whatever else was tossed into my "in" basket. Over the ensuing years my expanded job led to many different experiences, the meeting of interesting people and the beginning of new friendships. Reporters came and went during the years and many of them also became friends. Some of the friendships are still thriving and many of the experiences are cherished memories. Many months after the sale of the newspapers, my editor stopped by my desk to discuss a new assignment for me. "We want you to write a weekly column about anything as you see it," he said. I basically replied that I couldn't possibly write the type of column he wanted and besides it "would never fly." I was wrong on both counts. Since saying "No" was not an option, I wrote the column and it flew (with a hiatus here and there) until my retirement. This, too, became an avenue to more new experiences, people, happenings and memories. In 1972 I took a medical leave. While in the hospital I received a personal note from Phil (I think the only time I called him Mr. Merrill was on his first visit to the Glen Burnie office). In the note he hoped I was feeling better by the time I received it and that he was enclosing a copy of a book which he had personally enjoyed and seemed appropriate for my situation. It was a pleasant surprise, one that I never anticipated receiving from the man at the top. My husband, too, enjoyed the new ownership, particularly the annual company picnic hosted by Phil. Next to the food, he loved the traditional egg toss and thought Phil and Ed Casey were the best tossers in the crowd. We were away when I received the news of Phil's disappearance. I couldn't grasp it until I came home this week and caught up with the news. I still find it difficult to believe he's gone. Although I haven't seen him very much since I retired, my memory of him is as vivid as the day I first met him. And I will never forget that he was responsible for allowing me to expand my horizons in my second career. Horizons that have enriched my life in many ways. Ellie, I will always remember your kindness and friendliness to us whenever we met. You and your family are in our hearts and prayers at this time. Anne Skillman Linthicum Friday 8:30 AM I have worked at both Washingtonian magazine and The Capital newspaper on and off for the past 20 years. Phil has always been the life blood of both places. Not only did you always know when he was in the building, but you always knew he was guiding the publications in the right direction. The people who work for him are very dedicated and many have worked for him for more than 20 years. That is certainly saying something about Phil Merrill and what he has created here. He's going to be greatly missed. With prayers to the family, Ann Marie Grills Friday 8:29 AM My dear Cathy, It is with deepest regret that I express my sympathy to you and your family during your loss. All of us here at ACS wish you and your family God’s wishes and grace during this difficult time. Sincerely, April A. Brady Friday 8:24 AM We had a very close group of families with summer camps at the end of a road on Phillips Lake in Lucerne, Maine, just outside of Bangor. So close that we are all one big family really. When I was away flying as a pilot in the Navy, my parents told me about a nice young couple that moved in to the camp just before our little cluster of camps. Our "family" goes back many years before I was born,
I am 42. The thought of our "family" growing with some
people from away seemed remote. But that is just what happened with
Doug Merrill and his wife. They lived year round on the lake as
my parents now also do. They had two boys born into the now bigger
neighborhood. Doug's career has taken them out of Maine and we miss
them all dearly. I never met Phillip Merrill, some of the others
did. I never heard much about him after his visits, just that Doug's
parents had been up. He didn't make much of an impression other
than being a nice man, we had never heard of him. He must have been
relaxed in Maine because he seems to have made many an impression
everywhere else. David Clark Thursday 4:52 PM In early 1970, Mr. Merrill at the request of my former father-in-law, a Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper publisher, hired me to work for Capital-Gazette Newspapers for a period of six months in order to learn the business from outside the family relationship. Following an interview in his office at the Evening Capital, Mr. Merrill hired me. I began in the Advertising Department as a retail advertising account executive and later worked in editorial, business and also served as general manager of the Capital Gazette Press Inc. Military Publications where I sold advertising for and distributed the Andrews Flyer for Andrews Air Force Base, the Bowling Beam for Bowling Air Force Base, as well as the base newspapers for Quantico Marine Base and Fort Belvoir Army Base whose newspaper was awarded the designation of the Best Army Base Newspaper in the nation for the two years in which Capital Gazette Press held the contract (2 years is the maximum allowable time). I also served short stints with the advertising departments of The Laurel News and The Maryland Gazette (America's oldest newspaper in continuous publication). Throughout the two years I worked for Capital-Gazette Newspapers, Mr. Merrill was most kind and helpful in advancing my skills as a newspaper representative. His teachings were so good, I became the first salesman with fewer than five years experience to be hired by the St. Petersburgh Times and Evening Independent later working for the Fort Lauderdale News-Sun Sentinental. I shall forevermore be grateful to Mr. Merrill for his outstanding patriotism, kindness and friendship. He was a great man with love of God, country and family with the highest values one can possess. My sincere condolences to his wife and children and all family members and friends. With condolences, Larry E. Ball Thursday 4:46 PM I first met Phil when I was hired at The Washingtonian Magazine back in 1985, it was my first big ad sales job. Although intimidating, Phil was brilliant, caring and was first to help younger people. I remember having conversations with him about my master’s thesis and visiting Cuba, all of which usually took place when running into him in the washroom. He would ask incredible questions, then always follow up with a small nugget of advice, something you couldn’t get anywhere else. Phil always surrounded himself with what I thought was the best and brightest in the business. Everyone I worked with while at The Washingtonian was that way. Smart, passionate about their work, and always helpful. And interacting with his wife, Ellie, was like talking to everyone’s Mom, only with a little more respect. I owe a huge amount of gratitude to all those people. I will never forget those few years working at 19th and L Street and I will never forget Phil Merrill. Warmest Regards, Nick Coston Thursday 11:35 AM The same weekend that Philip Merrill disappeared off his sailboat I was kayaking the lower portion of the bay with some people that knew him. After the trip was over I wrote a number of poems, including one in honor of Philip Merrill and his beloved bay. John Hutchinson PHILIP MERRILL Champion for a Chesapeake Bay National Park This son of a Russian immigrant Editor of his college newspaper This newspaper owner-publisher Put from port The sea Thursday 11:26 AM I was very touched at the family's graceful acknowledgment of the manner of Mr. Merrill's death. Our son committed suicide three years ago at the age of 33. As survivors of suicide you described the feelings that overwhelm the family -- at first. I see you have already moved on to celebrate his life. So many survivors do not move out of the first stages of shame, anger, guilt, and yes, overwhelming grief. Thank you for the honesty -- you may never know how many people, just like us, whose lives you have touched. Your family is in our prayers. Sincerely, Bill and Charlene Huebl Thursday 10:18 AM "Tho' much is taken, much abides; and 'tho We are not now that strength which in the old days Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are; One equal-temper of heroic hearts, Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will To strive, to seek, to find but not to yield. Tennyson. (1842) My sincere condolences to the Merrill and Capital family! Mandy Johnson Thursday 6:05 AM On Sept. 17, 2005, Phil's beloved Cornell Daily Sun celebrated its 125th anniversary. Phil had been The Sun's managing editor, the editor in charge of the news coverage of what was then known as "Ithaca's Only Morning Newspaper." Phil, along with Kurt Vonnegut Jr. '44 and other famed former Sun editors, was invited to speak. Phil declined because of a prior conflicting commitment. Instead, he sent the following email, requesting that his toast be read to the hundreds who attended. It was. "I regret that a wedding prevents me from joining the greatest assemblage of trouble-makers, ink-stained wretches, and practiced or unpracticed practical jokers since Dick Schaap and I took over the Syracuse Daily Orange under the banner of IOSN ("Ithaca's Only Syracuse Newspaper"). More or less on behalf of the Bush Administration, may God be with you for another 125 years in running The World's Best Journalism School (other than the Merrill School at Maryland of course): The Cornell Daily Sun. Yours in mischief-making, Phil Merrill P.S. Of course my real reason for not attending is a charitable desire not to embarrass most of you, who have changed so much, when everybody knows I haven't changed at all. Cheers. Stan Chess, Wednesday 10:13 PM I was a graduate student at the University of Maryland's journalism school. The only reason I was able to get a graduate degree in journalism, my biggest love, was because I received a fellowship from the endowment Philip Merrill left the school. I never met him, and yet he paid for my master's degree. I never met him, but he changed my life. I never met him, but he did one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me. I never met him, and I will never forget him. I know I was not the only person he helped. His generosity humbles me. His spirit will live on in the heart of everyone he touched. I know he will live on in mine. Alex Quinones Wednesday 10:11PM When I was sworn in to my current position at the State Department I said in my remarks that "no one person has quite affected the trajectory of my life as much as Phil Merrill - an entrepreneur, leader, and philanthropist with few parallels in Washington. When I met Phil 10 years ago the scales fell from my eyes about what was accomplishable in a number of different fields if one applied the common tonic of leadership to any endeavor. Thank you Phil." Just so. Phil completely changed my life when he called out of the blue over 10 years ago to talk to me about some policy piece I had written. We became friends, he encouraged me to go into business, got me involved in the unique leadership approach at the Aspen Institute, and helped me to recognize the infinite vistas of American life that are available to people who take leadership seriously. I never, never failed to be inspired by Phil - every lunch, every visit, every ball game, every phone conversation. Phil was a mentor to a generation of Washington leaders - who have followed him into public and private leadership positions. One of them, my friend Jim Lambright, recorded the best of Phil's leadership thoughts in a collection we call The Merrillisms. Each one says so much about Phil and the tremendous range of the man. I read them monthly when he was alive. I'll read them more often now and try harder to live life and leadership the way Phil did...the right way. John Hillen Wednesday 10:10 PM My thoughts and prayers are with your family in these troubled times. Carl Allison Wednesday 10:09 PM Ellie, Lynne and I are so saddened by Phil’s death; our condolences to you and your family. My favorite Phil memory was when I was on the Annapolis City Council and The Capital was moving from its building on West Street and Monticello Avenue out to Parole. The property straddled the city/county line, and Phil (the penny pincher he was) was expecting to pay the (low) county water and property tax rates, not the (high) city rates. At some point he was told by his advisers that notwithstanding his assumption, unless the law changed the building would be paying city rates. Man, did all hell break loose! I got several calls from him in rapid succession, only minutes apart – I guess because he learned I was on the Finance Committee and we could extend some kind of waiver. It has been so long I cannot remember what the ultimate outcome was – I am sure he browbeat us into some accommodation, as politicians are not supposed to pick fights with folks who buy ink by the gallon – but I will always remember holding the receiver at arms length and everyone within 50 feet of my office peering in the door wonder what in the world was going on! He was a character, a fantastic businessman and – as I have learned from the press coverage over the past few days – an amazing human being. I feel grateful to have known him. Brad Davidson, President Wednesday
4:26PM I like to think he’s probably having a politically or religiously
charged argument with somebody outside the pearly white gates while
God grins in the background letting him sweat it out a little before
allowing him in. I always enjoyed the occasions when he was in the
office. God bless you, Phil. Wednesday 4:19PM I never had the chance to know Phil well, having been one of the newest additions to the Washingtonian team, but I certainly quickly came to have great respect for him. One of my first days here, Jack Limpert gave me a five-page document labeled "Merrillisms: The Wisdom of Phil Merrill." The sections, devoted to being an executive, on government, on life, and on careers, range from "The government always lies. It's not intentional; it's just the way things go" to "My goal in life is to spend as little time as possible in hotel ballrooms." On the bottom of the second page, in the section on being an executive, is one of my favorites: "I believe," Phil wrote, "in the Joshua Chamberlain theory of history: When all seems lost, fix bayonets and charge." That's how I'll always picture Phil, charging off somewhere with bayonets fixed. While we didn't know each other well, I always enjoyed my time talking with him. In one of the first articles about him, former Washingtonian Diana McClellan recalled, "you always knew when he was in the room next door." I laughed out loud reading that, because my office shares a wall with Phil's office and, yes, I always knew when he was in. More than the myth and the legend, though, he was a fascinating person to talk with -- whenever I picked up news or wanted some analysis, I'd bounce it off Phil and he'd have a unique and thoughtful opinion that, more often than not, turned out to be right. On issue after issue, he knew more than anyone else I talked with, and had thought longer and harder about everything we talked about. It was always in a way disheartening to go out and spend a day reporting something, talking with people, turning something this way and that, and then come back to the office and find the most cogent analysis not ten feet away from my own desk. He was always a fount of ideas, stopping by my office to share gossip or suggest articles -- although, and this is what made him such a great publisher, he was never upset when I didn't use his ideas. As a Harvard Crimson alum, I teased him about the Cornell Daily Sun and he gave it right back -- last fall, we together drafted a letter to a Daily Sun reunion he'd miss. While I never had the chance to get to know him well, he, as in many things, has had an outsized presence in my life. Perhaps as we all struggle to come to grips with his loss, it's best to think of one of his other Merrill-isms: "The great lesson of life is that no one is in charge." --Garrett M. Graff, editor-at-large, Washingtonian Wednesday 4:14PM CrisisLink offers The Merrill family and the Washingtonian family our deepest sympathy. Please contact us should you need any support in the community during this difficult time. Sincerely, Wednesday 4:10PM Note from the Editor's desk - This was forwarded to the Washingtonian staff: Sue and I have many wonderful memories of Phil over the years. There’s one that I’d like to share because it captures different parts of Phil’s personality and wide knowledge. About 10 years ago, I casually mentioned to Phil that I was about to take on a new responsibility for the University of Maryland: I would be running its Norman and Florence Brody Public Policy Forum. It would be my job to interview experts on various topics who came to campus; sometimes two notable guests would debate. "I’ve done that," said Phil, "and I can tell you exactly how to do it right." Turns out that one of his early jobs was developing interview questions for Mike Wallace’s mid-1950s television program, Night Beat. There followed a 15 minute lecture on the Do’s and Don’ts of choosing guests, framing topics and asking questions. I followed his wise advice and, well, we are still in business a decade later. Our hearts go out to Ellie and the rest of the family. --- Sue and Doug Besharov
Wednesday 4:01PM I did not know Mr. Merrill, nor did I work for the Washingtonian or The Capital. However, I am a journalist, and I have worked in journalism in the Washington, D.C., area now for 23 years, and I know people who have worked at the Washingtonian and The Capital. Additionally, I attended the University of Maryland at College Park, I know several people who work at the Journalism School at College Park, and I am on the board of directors of Maryland Media Inc. and the Maryland Media Inc. Alumni Association. Finally, I have been a faithful reader of the Washingtonian for at least 20 years. I say all of that not for selfish reasons, but as an introduction to explain why I feel the loss of Mr. Merrill very much, again, as a journalist and as a Maryland graduate. Mr. Merrill led an amazing life. He was fortunate to not only succeed in business, in journalism, but to actually afford the chance to step away from his business and work in government and politics. To many of us, that is a dream life. The vast number of people whose lives he touched as a businessman, journalist, philanthropist, politician, diplomat and member of many communities is astounding. I know that people who worked at the Washingtonian and at The Capital were in awe of Mr. Merrill --and they owed much of their success to Mr. Merrill. I know that there are young journalism students at Maryland who, today, as we speak, are benefitting greatly from the generous donation that Mr. Merrill made to the school. Of course, the school is now named after Mr. Merrill. I know there are environmentalists working every day, doing research, sweating it out in the sun or the cold, on Mr. Merrill's beloved Chesapeake Bay, who owe much to him because of Mr. Merrill's generous contributions to bay foundations and programs. Mr. Merrill may be gone, but his influence will live on for many years. To be such a towering force in so many disperate areas of life, to touch the lives of so many diverse people, to succeed so well in business, journalism, government, politics, diplomacy, community affairs, the environment and civic affairs, not to mention his success as a family man and a friend, colleague and acquaintance of so many people, well, it is, again, truly amazing. Sometimes people look back on a time or an era and they say, "there were giants in those days." Well, there was a giant in our days -- and his name was Philip Merrill. Matt Neufeld Wednesday 4:01PM Dear Ellie and family, I have been so saddened to follow the news about Phil. This is a terrible shock, to be sure. Phil has been so competent in every aspect of his life. Especially in inspiring loyalty and respect from his friends and employees. Please consider me among the legions of those whose lives he touched. I will be eternally grateful for the faith and friendship that you both have shown me over the years. My thoughts and prayers are with you at this difficult time, Linda Haan Wednesday 4:00 PM I have enjoyed many conversations and experiences with Phil over the years.
A recent occurrence stands out. About two years ago, when he was
leading the Ex-Im Bank, my wife, several friends and I were at Dulles
waiting for a mobile lounge to take us to our gate for a flight
to Italy. I observed a man with briefcase, a suitcase, etc., hurrying
down the hall. He began yelling at the lounge just loading, also
going to a set of gates. The driver shut the door, refused to wait
and began to leave as the running man approached the closed door.
Without hesitation he begin kicking it.... The lounge left. As I
studied the figure I realized it was Phil. His back was turned as
I quietly walked over to him and said, "I know a magazine that
would love a picture of that outburst!" Phil turned saw me
and burst out laughing ... for some time. "You got me but keep
your mouth shut!" Pure Phil. I will miss him. |
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