Our resident letter writer.

[bob40]

While in the library early this morning I was
reading the February 1963 issue of Motor Trend.
Scanning through the letters to the editor I found
myself reading about the virtues of the Studebaker
V8 signed by one Bob Palma.
Bob is modest but after reading his posts
about letters to Studebaker in his early youth as
well as letters he has written to magazines in his
later youth I have to ask.
Hey Bob...how many letters to editors have you sent
over the years that have been published?

[BobPalma]

quote:Originally posted by bob40

While in the library early this morning I was
reading the February 1963 issue of Motor Trend.
Scanning through the letters to the editor I found
myself reading about the virtues of the Studebaker
V8 signed by one Bob Palma.
Bob is modest but after reading his posts
about letters to Studebaker in his early youth as
well as letters he has written to magazines in his
later youth I have to ask.
Hey Bob...how many letters to editors have you sent
over the years that have been published?

Hi, Bob: It's amazing, how many people buy and/or read old magazines from the '60s. I'm approached maybe once every four months by someone who has "found" a Letter to the Editor I'd written, that was published in an old '60s car magazine they found.

To frame those writings correctly, remember I turned 16 years of age February 11, 1962. So if you see a letter during that time period, you can figure out how old I was when I wrote it...and that was before the convenience of e-mail!

One thing I've got to do is go to downtown Indianapolis and retrieve a Studebaker-oriented letter I had published in The Indianapolis News (now defunct) in late December 1963. I wrote it shortly after Studebaker had announced the closure in South Bend. It was published, but I've misplaced the old clipping.

In it, I basically castigated the State of Indiana for not having bought more Studebaker trucks! As a result of that, I observed that other state workers now had to contend with high levels of unemployment in St. Joseph County as Studebaker wound down.

Surprisingly, The News' Editorial Staff actually replied to that letter in print. They called some bureaucrat in the Indiana State Motor Pool and he issued a statement saying that some trucks were needed for which Studebaker did not offer a model.

Even though I was only 17 years old, I remember that response being my first introduction to BS from a bureaucrat [}]. I thought the answer was mostly BS because I knew Studebaker could (and would) build just about any type truck someone wanted....just ask me! Not bad insight for a 17-year-old, if I do say so myself.[^]

So to answer your question, Bob: I never kept track of how many Letters-to-the-Editor I've had published. I'm sure it's well over 100, both local news media and national magazines combined. I'm known as a bit of a religious conservative political thorn in the side of the staff at The Indianapolis Star, but they publish a letter of mine maybe every four or five months anyway. Just today (August 18th), I exchanged personal e-mails with both the Managing Editor and the Political Editor after I roasted the both of them in a letter about their writings in the Sunday, August 16th Star.

Funny thing is, it's standard practice for the paper to call letter-writers to verify it is that person before publishing their letter, but they quit doing that for me maybe a year ago. They recognize the writing, I guess...

Once I get a scanner up and working, I'll post some of maybe a dozen or so personal letters from various people at Studebaker, received in response to writing and telling them, circa 1961-1964, what they ought to be doing to increase sales and make Studebakers more appealing. Also a letter in response to my protesting their doing away with The Gran Turismo Hawk during the shift to Hamilton-exclusive production. Fortunately, I never discarded that stuff during many moves and a lull in Studebaker interest during college, when they were out of business and I kind of thought I'd lost a personal fight for them as well.

Ah, the innocence of

[R2Andrea]

Every time I buy another early '60's car magazine, one of the first things I do is read through the Letters to the Editor. From time to time I get lucky and find a gem from Bob lurking there. And less frequently from Cousin George (and IIRC George's father)and even from someone with the last name of Quinn. I've recognized several others authored by long time SDC people as well, but Bob gets the prize for frequency.

R2Andy

[DEEPNHOCK]

I always look at the little want ad's in the back that have the $250 1953 coupes, and $150 '37 coupes[:0]....
Jeff[8D]

quote:Originally posted by R2Andy

Every time I buy another early '60's car magazine, one of the first things I do is read through the Letters to the Editor. From time to time I get lucky and find a gem from Bob lurking there. And less frequently from Cousin George (and IIRC George's father)and even from someone with the last name of Quinn. I've recognized several others authored by long time SDC people as well, but Bob gets the prize for frequency.

R2Andy

http://community.webshots.com/user/deepnhock

[nibbs53]

THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN IN HOT ROD MAGAZINE.

[studegary]

I purchased my 1958 Packard hardtop from a classified ad in Motor Trend.

I,too, write quite a few letters to publications, but probably not as many as Bob Pa. has. It has gotten a lot easier since e-mail. Just recently, I have had two letters relative to Studebaker published in international publications. Of course, what is published is just the tip of the iceberg relative to what I have written. As an example, this afternoon alone, I wrote five letters to publications. This includes one to Bob Pa. relative to the Sept. Co-Operator.

Gary L.
Wappinger, NY

SDC member since 1968
Studebaker enthusiast much longer

[DEEPNHOCK]

Wait until 2029, and read his recent old letters[:0]
Bob has not let up, but he know bigger words now
Jeff[8D]

quote:Originally posted by bob40

While in the library early this morning I was
reading the February 1963 issue of Motor Trend.
Scanning through the letters to the editor I found
myself reading about the virtues of the Studebaker
V8 signed by one Bob Palma.
Bob is modest but after reading his posts
about letters to Studebaker in his early youth as
well as letters he has written to magazines in his
later youth I have to ask.
Hey Bob...how many letters to editors have you sent
over the years that have been published?

[StudeDave57]

Someone found that same old magazine- and posted about it- again [?] [?] [?]

These same several stories are getting old...



StudeDave '57 [8D]

[bams50]

Resident letter writer?? I dunno. Seems like just a rabble-rouser to me......

Robert (Bob) Andrews- on the IoMT (Island of Misfit Toys)
Parish, central NY 13131

[starliner62]

It's really ironic. I took my thirteen year old son the high school where I graduated today to get him an identification badge. (I really feel old). While waiting, I was looking at past awards on the wall. I spotted one award with none other than Bob Palma's name on it. Now doing the math, Bob got this award before the school was built. How did he do that????[}][:I]

Jamie McLeod
Hope Mills, NC

Oh no!! There's more than one!!

[R2Andrea]

Here are a few examples of our resident writers handi work.
[img][img]

R2Andy