Current and former Travel Weekly staff remember Alan Fredericks and what his leadership meant to them:
I first met Alan on a press trip at the opening of a budget hotel in Warsaw -- an oxymoron if there ever was one, Alan later said, in the late 60s, when I was at Travel Agent magazine. He told me that, as cub reporters, we had nowhere to go but up. We sat in a bar somewhere in Warsaw one night and he talked, I listened. Even back then, his stories were long, totally engaging, often very funny and with nuggets of info and interest.
Over the years, he was never too busy to answer my questions, talk, explain, laugh, reminisce, poke fun at himself, delight in talking about his daughter Caitlin and his earlier memories of travels with his sons.
On his last day at Travel Weekly, he came by my desk, gave me a hug and said he'd miss me.
I have lost a good friend -- we all have.
Gay Nagle Myers
Caribbean editor
I just remember what a kick it was to discover that I was working for a guy who, because of his background as a deejay, knew -- and was willing to share with me -- the inside dope on notorious New York jazz deejay Symphony Sid. He could speak knowledgeably about performers as disparate as Thelonious Monk and Little Richard. And he volunteered to dedicate a doo-wop tune by the Valentines, Lily Mabelle, to "Joe Rosen back there at Travel Weekly" when he sat in on some rock n roll radio revival broadcast.
And even at 70, he was still hip.
Joe Rosen
Former executive editor,
Current contributing editor
Alan Fredericks, of course, was Travel Weekly from the moment he interviewed me in TWs Miami office in 1983 for the post of Southeast bureau chief until the moment I left the publication in 2001.
Because I was stationed far from the home office, I could really glimpse Alan only from a distance. But that served simply to magnify the image I formed of Alan -- someone larger than life. I always saw Alan as a kind of magnified figure, starting with the extraordinary trumpet of a voice.
But it wasn't just the voice, it was what that voice could project -- brilliant wit with split-second reactions, acid critiques that could send the hapless object of his disdain through the floor and perceptive, original comments about the travel industry and virtually everything else, from basketball and politics to Broadway and Brahms.
And, of course, there was his brilliance as a scribe in the newsroom.
Ernie Blum
Former Southeast bureau chief
Travel industry panels are a staple of our conferences, congresses, seminars and workshops. Others tried their hand at it, but couldn't even come close to the manner in which Alan Fredericks moderated an industry panel, especially when it featured audience participation. He was better than anyone else.
He was a showman. He loved the stage. Whether it was in the newsroom sharing a story with a group of editors, or in the spotlight behind a podium, Alan was always on. He also dispensed abundant energy at these events, moving quickly up the aisle or into a row to put a microphone in front of a questioner.
And, maybe most importantly, he had an incredible memory. If he asked you to call a certain news source, he often told you what the phone number was. From memory. So with no apparent strain, he could remember a panelists earlier statement or off-hand remark and use it as the basis of a follow-up question, thus priming the pump for audience participation. Boring panel discussions were a thing of the past when Alan moderated. They became athletic events as he hustled over to this one, and then to that one.
The discourse will never be the same.
Diana Orban
Former executive editor
Travel Weekly was my home for 28 years. I say home because that is the atmosphere that Alan created for those lucky enough to have worked with him. He treated everyone with respect and interest.
I was a baby when I started at Travel Weekly. It was my first real job and I hadnt a clue how things worked. He treated me with the same respect on my first day as he did 25 years later.
He never lost the roll-up-the-shirt-sleeves mentality. He was always one of us, engaged in our activity. He never lost touch with the human side of the business. He was one of the worlds greatest communicators, in written word and in speech. He loved people, he loved to be with people and he loved to be of help.
Whether the problem was professional or personal, through all our crises, and our triumphs, he was there for us. We were family. And this member of my family will be greatly missed.
Jane Jamison
Former editorial director,
Tactical marketing
Alan disliked giving orders or saying no. He preferred to use his considerable powers of persuasion to get people to do what needed to be done.
I went into his office one day -- this was about 20 years ago -- to ask for a job that was available. I dont remember now what job it was, but it was one of those times when several staff changes were in the works. Alan somehow got the idea I was asking to be managing editor.
We both knew that me as managing editor would have been a disaster, but apparently he didnt know that I knew. So Alan shifted into heavy-duty persuasion gear.
"Jim, you don't REALLY want THAT job, do you?" Alan went on to describe the various pitfalls and agonies that befell managing editors.
It was several minutes before I could step in and blurt out that it wasn't the managing editors job I was after. Safe to say, we were both greatly relieved that was settled.
Jim Transue
Former senior editor,
Impact issues
In 1996, I had the opportunity to spend some time in England as editor of Travel Weekly in the U.K. It was not a slam-dunk decision.
I wrote a very, very long e-mail to Alan outlining all the issues (from weighty matters about my future to cat care) and asking for his thoughts and advice.
He wrote a long reply, and his letter concluded: On a personal note, Im happy whatever you decide. So you can't lose with me no matter what you do. I just want you to make the decision you really want to make, not one you think others want you to make.
He was so right: I did not lose with him.
Nadine Godwin
Editor at large
My memories range from hilarious (Alan doing shots of tequila on a party boat) to serious (he once told me that a measure of ones success as a manager was in how much concern your staff had for you when you faced a serious personal situation). By that accounting, he was a great success.
Lori Cioffi
Editor in chief,
Meetings & Conventions
I learned about good journalism from Alan. He was always kind and generous to those people who reported to him, and it's something I will never forget. He was a wonderful writer, editor and man, and I am grateful for the kindness and generosity of spirit he always sent my way.
Claudette Covey
Former managing editor,
Current Agent Life editor
From 1980 to 1983, I handled hotel beat assignments, in addition to my long-held Florida and Hawaii beats.
Eventually, the burgeoning Florida and Hawaii sections and spot news coverage from those areas began to represent a full days workload, and I was obliged to stay late on many days.
Reluctantly, I found it necessary to ask Alan to relieve me of the prestigious hotel beat in 1983. He did, expressing total agreement with my assessment of the workload and the desire to spend more time with my family.
Henry Magenheim
Former senior editor
Alan had an uncanny knack for asking a question about a news story that brought the whole story into sharper focus.
Michele McDonald
Former managing editor
Alan was thoughtful and generous. He was a devoted family man and a die-hard Yankees fan. He also had a wicked sense of humor. He made me laugh when he said he had ties older than me. During my first year at Travel Weekly, I was told staff dressed up for Halloween, and I did not believe it.
And I will never forget coming to work on Halloween morning and seeing Alan Fredericks turn the corner dressed as Sherlock Holmes.
Laura Dennis
Former managing editor
My most lasting memory of Alan was the day he came by my desk to ask me if I could use his two Yankees tickets for the following nights game in the Bronx. I'd been at TW about a year or so by then, but it was at that moment that I felt I'd arrived, that I was part of the team.
There were few people I enjoyed shooting the breeze with more around here, whether it was about Joe Torre's decision to pull Andy Pettitte the night before, Nathan Lane's latest project (we were both big fans) or the horrors of driving on Route 9 in Old Bridge.
Gerry Bourbeau
Deputy managing editor
Alan was really a great guy and I miss him. It was wonderful to have him around the office, though its been quite a while since we had that. He used to crack jokes about how old he was, but he behaved like the youngest, brightest, funniest one among us. He was always so open to new ideas, always so kind and respectful to people. He will be greatly missed. I feel very sad for his family.
David Cogswell
Senior editor
Alan Fredericks was one of the most intelligent, articulate and capable people I have met in my 19-year journalism career.
I remember the first time I had to speak publicly, at a conference about the euro. Alan called me into his office and gave me a pep talk. He was legendary in his ability to engage the public in the Phil Donohue style and generously gave me some tips about how to interact with an audience.
I learned a lot from Alan about what it meant to be professional, as a writer, editor and executive. He represented everything dignified and stimulating about the travel industry -- and the industry was lucky to have him around for so long.
Dinah Spritzer
Former Europe editor
Alan had the ability use humor, even in the direst situations. I was in Alan's office a few years ago and he told me that he had to have one of his eyes removed.
After I got over my initial shock, he explained to me that this had given him a new perspective and had made him look at things in a somewhat different light. I asked him what he meant by that. "For instance," he said, "take music titles: The song is now 'If I only had eye for you', instead of 'eyes for you.' "
We must have sat there for an hour coming up with new titles for songs that had the word eyes in them substituting the word eye. We laughed until we cried.
I followed up with him when he was in the hospital having the procedure done. I sent him a dozen Black-eyed Susans. He thought that was hilarious.
Bill Scott
Former Travel Weekly publisher
I remember Alan's presence on Sept. 11, 2001, and I only found out last week, in reading about Alan, that Sept. 11 was his birthday. His office in Secaucus was near a window from which we could all see the World Trade Center burning that day. I remember Alan staring at the building, shaking his head as we all did, and his calming influence in the office that day.
On a lighter note, it was a hoot attending conferences with Alan. I thought of him at these events as an actor in a Broadway opening, with so many people recognizing the man and stopping by to say hello. He was also warm and engaging at these industry events, securing a table for us in a restaurant for breakfast and expounding about his life and the lay of the land at the conference.
There will be a missing place at the table now.
Dennis Schaal
Technology and business travel editor
As a fledgling copy editor at Travel Weekly back in the early 1990s, I knew nothing about Alan's radio days. To me, Alan was the quintessential boss: a very approachable, easygoing guy, yet clearly the top dog.
We young 'uns even called him El Jefe, as in someone had better ask El Jefe what he thinks of this new lead before we ship the page.
He watched over my shoulder as I wrote headlines when a big story was going into the news section. He was always around for those stop the presses moments, and he was always the guy who made the big decisions. I learned a lot, I respected him, and was always just a tiny bit nervous in his presence. He was the boss, after all.
Late one hot summer Sunday night, I was in my ancient, wheezing Toyota Corolla, driving home from the Jersey shore. The air conditioning was dead and the traffic was backed up for miles. I was falling asleep and I didn't have a cassette player in the car, so I miserably trolled among the late-night radio shows in search of some music, with limited success.
Finally, there was a strong signal. I happened to hear a good doo-wop song on 101.1 and decided to leave it on. A few songs later, I was fixating on the traffic, but then I had the strangest sensation. I sat up straighter. I didn't know why at first, but something was very, very weird.
It was that voice. It was Alan on the radio. Talking. About doo-wop?
What? Alan was the deejay?
As the realization took root, I laughed out loud. It was the same sonorous tone that I heard in the office every day, but it was a livelier, more Alan-y Alan.
At Travel Weekly, Alan was a very serious guy, but here on the radio, he sounded younger, bouncier and pretty excited about the music. And, in talking with the many deez and doze New Yorkers who called in their requests that night, Alan was as kind, sincere and interested as could be. He was genuinely engaged in conversation with each and every Everyman he spoke to that night.
And, thats how he treated all of us, even the young 'uns, at Travel Weekly. All the time. Kind. Sincere. Interested. Engaged.
Kristin OMeara-Hillmann
Former senior editor
Working for Alan was a pleasure. No matter what kind of mood you were in, he always had the capacity to put a smile on your face with his wit. No one could tell a story like Alan.
I never felt as though we were just employer and employee, we were also friends, and I valued his friendship more than I could ever say.
He was such a compassionate man. He was never boring and always concerned for others feelings.
Sabina Rubbinaccio
Executive secretary, 1987-2003
Alan was very supportive of me when I was seriously ill in 1982. I needed a lot of time off and was fairly new to TW, but he assured me that when it comes to health and worrying about job, health came first. This was a big vote of confidence from the then-associate publisher/editor.
Helen Brower
Former associate editor
We were all lucky to know and work with Alan. He was a spectacular person. He was multi-talented and multi-dimensional, and he enriched us with his wide-ranging knowledge and humor. He was forever entertaining, witty, irreverent and thoughtful.
As a gifted raconteur and toastmaster, he was a frequent speaker at industry meetings, panel discussions, anniversaries and funerals. I recall that one year, after he had attended 65 to 70 industry functions by May or June, he was told of yet another invitation three months down the road. He was exhausted.
"Tell them, I cant go," he quipped. "Ill be attending a funeral that day."
He was organized, direct and down-to-earth, just like his column. He urged us to get out of the office to stay in touch with our readers. He implored us to keep it simple. He strove for fair coverage. Once, I remarked to him that one of our reporters, who was stressed out, seemed to be a bit epitonic.
"Don't be so esoteric," he retorted.
With his knowledge and wit, he could dazzle us at editorial meetings. I would leave with the thought that I gladly would have paid an admission fee for his performance. For one of our owners, we were required to do an annual dog-and-pony show, laying out our achievements and plans. It was a nerve-wracking exercise for editors. But our session was one the companys auditors enjoyed. They said to him, "We've heard about you. You are a legend. You have a great reputation."
And then Alan didn't disappoint. After one four-hour presentation, he left them in awe and -- to my amazement -- they gave him a hearty round of applause.
He knew how to delegate and to grow talent. He could be firm, but he knew how to weather the inevitable storms of publishers, when someone in the industry complained or when something went awry.
He remained loyal to his colleagues, as he preferred to call us. Perhaps anywhere else in todays corporate world, you might say he was too generous, too forgiving and too sensitive to staff quirks and neuroses, but that was what made him a joy to work with.
Charles Taylor
Former executive editor
When I joined Travel Weekly as the business travel writer in 2000, I was as green as green could be, knowing very little about the travel industry. I had a long way to go to establish the contacts necessary to be a good reporter.
Alan scheduled a meeting with executives at a nearby corporate travel agency, so I could learn more about the business and get to know some people. Alan and I went together, and I got to know him a little bit on the ride over.
It was a memorable day, because it was the first day I truly believed that I could hack it as a writer for Travel Weekly. Alan's words of encouragement were invaluable, as was the time he took to discuss industry issues and answer my rookie questions.
A couple of years later, when Travel Weekly was experiencing hard times and employees were afraid of losing their jobs, Alan took me aside and told me that I was doing an excellent job. What a tremendous lift that provided -- it was exactly what I needed to hear.
Thank you, Alan.
Jerry Limone
Senior copy editor
I started working on Travel Weeklys Web site in early 2002 and for nearly a year, I'd post Alans Web-only column -- a supplement to his weekly "Traveling" column that he wrote for the print publication -- to the site each day.
Through his musings, I learned so much about him from his love of cities great and small to his passion for the arts. I especially enjoyed his columns about his early days at Travel Weekly where he'd spout some early memories on the good old days in the industry and his travels around the world.
On occasion, some of the columns that I posted prompted me to e-mail him and tell him that I particularly enjoyed what he wrote. While he thanked me for my kind words, he always had a way of turning a compliment around and telling me what a fine job I was doing.
That was the kind of man Alan was -- a very humble man who thought of his employees with the utmost of respect.
Kimberly Scholz
Managing editor,
TravelWeekly.com
Alan's wit and wisdom never ceased to amaze me. He was one of the kindest people I have ever known, and I credit any professional success I've had to his mentoring over the course of 12 years.
He opened the world to me, and to lots of other journalists who came to Travel Weekly from other publications. He enabled us to experience the world.
Donna Tunney
Former managing and executive editor
Of course people remember Alan's sense of humor and his exuberant public persona, but what I liked best about the guy was his concern for his employees, who he really treated like family.
My kids grew up as TW brats and never did a phone conversation or meeting with Alan go by without him inquiring about their well being.
He was a funny man, with great journalistic instincts, but also a pretty darn sweet guy.
Fran Golden
Former senior editor
Current Boston Herald travel editor
Below is a reprint of Arnie Weissmanns Aug. 8, 2005 column "A wonderful life," about his remembrances of Alan Fredericks:
The first time I watched Alan Fredericks in action was at an ASTA Western Regional conference in the early 1990s. The meeting was held at sea, aboard a Princess ship that was repositioning between Vancouver and Los Angeles. Alan was moderating a panel discussion. To say that Alan was a good moderator is like saying that Julia Child was a good cook. And the analogy is apt: To Alan, panelists were ingredients, and it was his job to mix them together in just the right way to create something special.
The key ingredient, however, was the audience. Alan often moderated while standing among those who had walked into the room as spectators.
If it ended up that he asked questions that the audience really wanted to hear asked, it may well have been because he literally and figuratively saw things from their point of view.
And he gave them a chance to express those views. One part Ted Koppel, one part Phil Donahue, Alan would ask an insightful question to get things going and then solicit feedback and more questions from audience members.
(Alans abilities as a great editor weren't limited to printed news articles. He once confided to me that the key to pacing live formats was never letting go of the microphone. "Just point it at the audience members. If they begin to go on too long, just pull the mike away," he said.)
The result was not only informative, it was entertaining. Alan was sharp and comfortable in front of audiences and had a great sense of humor.
His intelligence and wit also came through in his print column, but for those of you who never saw him live, I'll tell you what separated him from other good public speakers: His voice.
He held a degree in broadcasting from New York University, and before he began working in the travel industry, he had honed his delivery for a decade in front of microphones, speaking to audiences he couldnt see but with whom he shared common interests.
He was a doo-wop DJ in the New York area for most of that period and often went out among his fans, hosting sock hops and concerts.
He even put in some time as an emcee at the Apollo Theater in Harlem.
As it turned out, Alan's ability to connect with audiences was medium-neutral. When he made the move to Travel Weekly, the adjustment went smoothly.
One travel agent reader, responding to a column he had written, said it in a way that made Alan proud: "We think it, and you write it."
That click, that human connection, extended not only to travel agents but to suppliers, public relations agents and his co-workers, as well.
Alan and I had become friends before either of us knew I would eventually become one of his successors as editor in chief of Travel Weekly.
After I came aboard, our friendship deepened considerably, and I found his advice and support invaluable.
It seemed to me remarkable that he always encouraged me to be experimental, even when a new approach would result in changing a policy that he had instituted.
And as everyone working at Travel Weekly knows, it was simply fun to have a conversation with Alan.
He could talk about travel, sports, classical music, cinema, business, pop culture and literature with equal ease. (These were among the chief topics in conversations he and I shared -- I suspect someone else could come up with an equally diverse list.)
Though Alan was, by nature, courtly -- I don't believe he ever came to work without a tie -- he was never stiff or aloof.
Conversations were often peppered with examples from his own life, usually told with self-deprecating humor.
Driving Alan Fredericks life was an intellectual restlessness, a deep-seated curiosity and a love and appreciation for people.
It made him a great journalist, an irreplaceable asset to the companies for which he worked and, to co-workers and colleagues, a dear, dear friend.
I will miss him greatly.
Arnie Weissmann
Editor in chief