House Concurrent Resolution 87

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMEMORATING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING OF THE COMMERCIAL DISPATCH NEWSPAPER ON MARCH 12, 1922, IN COLUMBUS, MISSISSIPPI, THE ONLY FAMILY-OWNED DAILY NEWSPAPER IN THE STATE, AND RECOGNIZING ITS CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE COMMUNITY AND TO THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI.

WHEREAS, we join the citizens of Columbus, Mississippi, in commemorating the 100th anniversary of the founding of The Commercial Dispatch newspaper and recognizing the civic contributions of this leading corporate citizen in our state; and

WHEREAS, in 1922, Vinton Birney Imes had some ambitious plans at only 33 years old, but no clear timetable to complete them, already having left his position with The Columbus Dispatch in 1921 to purchase The Columbus Commercial; and a year later, backed by the financing of a local judge, Mr. Imes purchased his old newspaper, The Columbus Dispatch, from the Maer family; and

WHEREAS, newspapers had operated in Columbus as far back as 1833, coming and going, merging and changing names; and on March 12, 1922, the first edition of the consolidated newspapers rolled off the press under the banner The Commercial Dispatch, with Birney Imes as its editor and publisher; and

WHEREAS, March 12, 2022, marked the 100th anniversary of what is now known as The Commercial Dispatch, and it is the second birthday the paper recognizes, along with the 1879 founding of The Columbus Dispatch, the earliest forerunner of today's newspaper; and

WHEREAS, beginning with Birney Imes, the newspaper has been edited and published by four generations of the Imes family, including the current editor/publisher Peter Imes, who took over the role in 2018, and it is now the only family-owned daily newspaper in the state; and

WHEREAS, upon Birney Imes' death in 1947, Birney Imes, Jr., took over as editor and publisher at age 33, the same age as his father when he published the first edition of The Commercial Dispatch, and Birney Jr. would go on to serve as editor and publisher for 51 years; and

WHEREAS, in 1998, Birney Imes III took over as editor and publisher, inheriting the position at a time that seems far removed from that of his grandfather, a time when newspapers were virtually the only source of news on daily events of not only Columbus but the nation and the world; and, in 1925, The Commercial Dispatch moved to its present location on Main Street, where in those days before radio and television, the newspaper was a beehive of activity during elections and public events and for many years a chalkboard was set up in front of The Dispatch to tally election returns as they came in; and

WHEREAS, "The 100th anniversary of The Commercial Dispatch celebrates far more than four generations of a family business," Peter Imes said, "When I pause to consider the history of the company, I always think of the thousands and thousands of people who have worked here or delivered papers for us. For most of the ones I've talked to, it was, in one way or another, a notable period of their life. People who have clocked in at The Dispatch have gone on to be entrepreneurs, university presidents, mayors, teachers and police officers. In the early days, there were a lot of young up-and-coming people who loved what we did and worked so hard. They came into work when they didn't have to and went the extra mile and won a lot of awards for their work. Those were exciting years and a period of growth for all of Columbus."; and

WHEREAS, that commitment to excellence has not changed, and the paper's newsroom won the top award in the state last year and its advertising department has won the top award the past two years; and

WHEREAS, Birney Imes kicked off the first 100 years of The Commercial Dispatch and Peter Imes is on the clock for the second 100 years; and Peter Imes said, "Whether it's The Dispatch or some other source, I just hope there's a third party to hold government accountable and report and interpret the news. But I do think there will be a Dispatch in 100 years"; and

WHEREAS, established in 1819, the City of Columbus has been a leading, progressive agricultural community in the Golden Triangle Region of Mississippi, which throughout its history has been supported by the leadership of its most public-spirited corporate citizen, The Dispatch, whose civic energy is a wonderful example of excellent journalism in the State of Mississippi:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE SENATE CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby commemorate the 100th anniversary of the founding of The Commercial Dispatch newspaper (1922-2022) in Columbus, Mississippi, the only family-owned daily newspaper in the state, and recognize its contributions to the community and to the State of Mississippi, and extend best wishes to the staff of this leading newspaper on this auspicious occasion.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to Peter Imes and the staff of The Commercial Dispatch, the Mayor and City Council of the City of Columbus, and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.