By Jack Houvouras
HQ 66 | AUTUMN 2008
It may sound cliché, but time flies when you’re having fun. Next month HQ begins its 20th year and, to be perfectly honest, we couldn’t wait to begin celebrating our anniversary. As such, this issue features several stories pertaining to our roller coaster ride. For me personally, there are a lot of memories that accompany two decades of publishing Huntington’s namesake magazine. Here are just some that hold special meaning for me:
Some of my fondest memories took place during the months leading up to the premiere issue of the magazine. Back then much of the work was done at night, burning the midnight oil to the glow of a nine-inch black and white screen on one of the first Apple Macintosh computers ever made. Scrolling across that tiny screen hour after hour may not sound very exciting, but it was. I couldn’t wait to get to work each day and didn’t care what time I got home.
There was the first time I drove to Heritage Farm to meet and interview civic leader A. Michael Perry. Today I am fortunate enough to call him a friend and trusted advisor. For nearly 20 years he was Mr. Perry, but more recently he insisted I call him Mike. I’m proud to do so.
I will never forget meeting amateur golfing great Bill Campbell. Following our profile of the Huntington icon, he invited me to join him for a round of golf at Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach, Florida – one of the most famous tracts in the world. I was honored to walk the seaside course with the man who many call the finest sportsmen and gentlemen that West Virginia has ever produced.
HQ has traveled to New York City on several occasions to interview Huntington natives who have made it big. In 1991 we caught up with Broadway star Mark McVey who was starring in Les Miserables. Les Miz was the first broadway show I ever attended and both the production and McVey’s stirring performance moved me. What had originally been planned as a small profile in the magazine suddenly became the cover story. Today, whenever McVey returns to the region to sing, I make a point of being in attendance to hear him share his God-given talent.
Twenty-five years after Paul Newman’s visit to Huntington in 1966, I decided to write the actor and request an interview about his memories of that trip.
I never really expected to hear back from the reclusive star, but two weeks later during lunch hour the phone rang and a cool voice on the other end asked to speak with “Houvouras.” When the caller announced that it was Paul Newman, I replied, “Yeah right, who the hell is this?” The rest is history. Newman died earlier this year after a long battle with cancer. In remembrance of this true American icon, I decided to re-publish the cover story I wrote about him in 1993 in this edition of HQ (see page 18). It remains one of my favorite pieces.
Perhaps nothing has been more fulfilling during the last 20 years than watching the rise of the Marshall University football program. Whether it was two NCAA national championships, five Mid-American Conference titles, seven bowl game appearances, two undefeated seasons, two Heisman Trophy finalists, numerous television appearances on ESPN, a #10 national ranking in 1999, or the making of We Are Marshall, HQ was there for it all. It was an era of phenomenal success and we were proud to chronicle the team’s many milestones in the pages of this magazine.
One of the perks of publishing your own magazine is the ability to write about anything you choose. I took advantage of that opportunity on a few occasions, the most note-worthy of which were cover stories I penned on two men I greatly admired. The first was Gen. Chuck Yeager and the second was my father, Andrew J. Houvouras. In my article on Gen. Yeager I described why I view him as the most accomplished man in the history of West Virginia. The piece on my late father was far more personal and cathartic, and I thank the readers of this magazine who allowed me to share his special story.
These are some of my favorite memories from the past 20 years. And, with the support we continue to receive from the people of Huntington, we plan to celebrate another anniversary in 2029 when HQ turns 40.
