The Man Time Forgot

TIME's first issue appeared on March 2, 1923 and was founded by Briton Hadden and Henry Luce, but after Hadden's death in 1929, Luce became the owner of the magazine and is considered one of the most important man in history of the media of the twentieth century. However many felt that TIME, almost forgot Hadden, so here is an interesting book on this topic. After all it wasn’t until after Luce’s death, in 1967, that Hadden’s name was restored to its place at the top of Time’s masthead.

It was Hadden, Time’s creative genius and editor, who would shape the style in which Americans think about and tell the news. In doing so, he set the foundation for the newspaper and magazine chains, radio and television networks, cable stations and Internet sites that have come to occupy a prominent place in the national culture.
Hadden told the news just as he viewed it—as a grand and comic epic spectacle. He hooked readers on the news and sold them on its importance by flavoring the facts with color and detail, and by painting vivid portraits of the people who made headlines. Offended by Luce’s desire for power, Hadden had been further depressed by a string of romantic failures. In his final few years, he had turned to the bottle, driven drunk through town, picked fights in speakeasies, and spent nights in jail.
Hadden had once said of their strange friendship. “No matter how hard I run, Luce is
always there.” Now Luce was at Hadden’s deathbed, ready to slog out the final grueling lap of their rivalry.
For several months Luce had been developing a plan to publish the company’s second major product—a business magazine to be called Fortune. Hadden was opposed. Believing the business world to be vapid and morally bankrupt, he had devoted the last few years to lampooning businessmen in print, even when they happened to be Time’s own advertisers. Luce was adamant. He kept coming to Hadden’s bedside, discussing draft articles and mock-ups. Hadden, true to form, had been drawn into a series of lengthy arguments. Day after day, Hadden and Luce had yelled at each other—so loudly that Hadden’s nurse could hear them from behind the closed door.

Hadden, left, and Luce, center, in 1925.