NSNC would like to express its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Robert Lawrence “Larry” Maddry. He passed away on March 29, and he had been in a long-term care facility for the last few years in gradual decline. Maddry was 90 years old, just one week shy of his next birthday. His son, Larry, remembers the excitement he had in organizing the first NSNC Conference in Virginia Beach.
The NSNC promotes professionalism and camaraderie among columnists and other writers of the serial essay, including bloggers. NSNC advocates for columnists and free-press issues.
The society began in 1977, thanks to Larry Maddry of the (Norfolk) Virginian-Pilot, who sent out letters to all kinds of columnists suggesting they get together and tell war stories, commiserate about editors and so forth.
A handful of columnists showed up in Virginia Beach in the first year of the Carter presidency, sat around in lounge chairs, drank adult beverages, told stories, met other people who did the same goofy job for a living and reflected on how happy they were to be out of the office. Who were these people? Oh, they included, among others, Maddry, Richard Des Ruisseaux from Louisville, Tom LaBelle from Grand Rapids, Shelley Rolfe and Steve Clark from Richmond, and Bob Terrell from Ashville. All white men, it turned out, reflecting the reality of newspapers — and particularly of newspaper columnists — in those days.
The organization slowly grew on the strength of volunteer help and the amazing enthusiasm of people who couldn’t get enough of the annual gatherings, the newsletters and the terrific friends they were making in the group. By 2000, the NSNC, then with its own Website, had outgrown its volunteer base and hired a professional administrator. The group also began calling its conventions conferences on the theory that the latter sounded more serious.
Over the years, the NSNC has worked hard to help columnists become better at their jobs. We are forever grateful for Larry and the contributions he made to the organization. For more about the NSNC, visit www.columnists.com.
Read Larry’s obituary in The Virginian-Pilot.
