How SND Started

2003 – 2004 was the Society for News Design's 25th Anniversary

and we would like to share some of our history with you.

These are the participants at the first Newspaper Design Seminar at the American Press Institute, July, 1978. Most of the founders of SND attended this workshop.



The API seminar (held on July 16-20, 1978) faculty consisted of Gus Hartoonian, Anton (Toni) Majeri, Edmund C. Arnold, Paul Back, Harold Evans, Rolf Rehe, Frank Peters, Ed Breen, Lou Silverstein, Hayward Blake, George Delmerico and Peter Masters. (See picture at top.)

Participants were N. Christian Anderson III, Rob Austin, Alan Berner, Kenneth Bronson, Robert Chin, Rob Covey, Richard Crocker, Richard Curtis, P.J. Erickson, John Flanagan, John Foley, Sara Giovanitti, John Gorsage, David Gray, Vernon Henry, Jack Holley, Frank Howe, James Irvine, Robin Jareaux, Charles King, Robert Lockwood, Richard Martin, Johnny Maupin, William McGrath, Julie Monroe, Charles Morris, Rose O'Donnell, Paul Paauwe, Neal Pattison, John Raschka, Donald Romaniuk, Don Scarborough, James Shuttleworth, Peg Sloan and Ronald Willnow.

Twenty-two committed individuals traveled to the Buck Hill Inn in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania during two snowy days in January, 1979, to organize a group dedicated to the betterment of newspapers through design. At that meeting, a steering committee was formed to govern the group, tentative dues schedules were established, and the purpose of the group was defined.
Those in attendance were N. Chris Anderson, Jackie Combs, Richard Curtis, Richard D'Agostino, John Davidson, Roger Fidler, John Flanagan, Sara Giovanitti, Dave Gray, Robin Jareaux, Jeff Lindenmuth, Robert Lockwood, William McGrath, John Maupin, Robert Mellis, Edward Miller, Rose O'Donnell, John Raschka, Terry Redknapp, Rolf Rehe, Dale Schneck and William Tudor.

SND was incorporated in the State of Pennsylvania on May 22, 1979 as a 501(c)(6) non-profit trade association.
The directors at the time of incorporation were Richard Curtis (The (Baltimore) News-American), Roger Fidler (Knight-Ridder Newspapers), Sara Giovanitti (The Boston Globe), Dave Gray (The Providence Journal), Robert Lockwood (The Allentown Call) and Rolf Rehe (Herron School of Art).
The name was changed to Society of Newspaper Design in 1982 and changed again to the Society for News Design in 1997.

In 1982, the first SND logo appeared, designed by co-founder Sara Giovanitti. It remained in use until the Fall of 1998.

The concept for the new logo, introduced at the annual workshop in Philadelphia, Pa., in 1998, was done by Lynn Wylie, a student at the Newcastle College of Art & Design (UK) at the time. Chosen out of scores of entries in an international competition, the final versions appropriate for print, web and other uses was finished by corporate designer Joe Finocchiaro.
The Society established its headquarters at The Newspaper Center in Reston, Va., in June, 1982, and hired its first full-time staff member that year. It moved to Providence, R.I., in July of 1996 and to North Kingstown, R.I., in 2002. It currently has three full-time employees: Executive Director Elise Burroughs; Membership Manger Susan Santoro and General Assistant Wanda Damian.