Firs Issue Of Playboy Magazine example essay topic

Hugh Marston Hefner was born in Chicago on April 9, 1926, the oldest son of Glenn and Grace Hefner, and a direct descendent of distinguished Massachusetts Puritan patriarchs William Bradford and John Winthrop. He attended Sayre Elementary School and Steinmetz High on the West Side of Chicago, where he was no more than an average student, despite his genius IQ (152) (web), he distinguished himself instead with his extracurricular activities like: founding a school paper, writing, cartooning. He also served as president of the student council, where he championed student causes. After he graduated from high school in 1944, he enlisted into the United States army, as an infantry clerk. During his time in the army he began to draw cartoons for a number of the army news papers that they had. After being discharged from the army, Hugh enrolled in the Chicago Art institute and took anatomy art classes (web).

While attending college he drew cartoons for the "Daily Illini", and edited the campus humor magazine "Shaft", where he introduced a new feature called Coed of the Month (web). After re saving his bachelors Hef took a semester of sociology at North West University were he met Mildred Williams. Mildred was a classmate of Hef in his sociology class, but they began to go out and one thing led to another. After dating for over three years they got married, and two wonderful. His first child was Christie who was born in 1952 and he also had a son David in 1955 (hughsbio. com).

After college Hugh tried to publish some of his cartoons. Un fortunately none of his ideas sold. So he ended up taking a $45 a week job as an assistant manager for the Chicago cartoon company in 1949. $45 a week was not enough so Hugh had to take a second job at Scott department store for just $40 a week (maxim mag Joe Deemed). A year later Hef was very tired of working two jobs so he got a $60 a week job as a promotion copywriter at Esquire magazine. In 1953 Esquire was going to move its headquarters to New York, so Hef insisted on a 5 dollar raise and was denied so he quit, and decided to create his own magazine called Playboy Magazine (ask men. com).

Of course you can not make a new magazine over night so Hugh had to take another temporary job as circulation manager of Children's Activities magazine in January 1953. This job was mainly just to put food on the table. They were struggling so much they did not even have a table because Hugh had to put his home furniture and appliances as collateral for a loan from the bank to get started (maxim mag). In December 1953, the firs issue of Playboy Magazine featuring Marilyn Monroe hit the news stands with a bang.

Hef really did not know if he was going to be able to produce another issue so he didn't put a cover date. But little did he know that the first issue would sell over 50,000 copies which was more than enough to pay for the paper, printing, and to finance another issue. From then on Hugh knew that Playboy would be a success. Buy the 1960's Playboy managed to rake in more and more profits selling over a million copies per moth. (timeline, com) Throughout the 60's, Hef and Playboy became what Chicago columnist Bob Greene has called "a force of nature".

Hef wrote an extended series of editorials titled "The Playboy Philosophy", championing the rights of the individual and challenging the country's heritage of puritan repression. The magazine became the largest-selling, most influential men's magazine in the world (playboy. com). In the 60's Hef began living the "good life". He became a nation wide celebrity hosting a popular television show called Playboys Pent House.

Hef was completely surprised people would actually stop him on the streets and ask for an autograph and even stock him at his recently bought playboy mansion in Chicago. Hef even started his own night club called Playboy Club in February 1960 in Chicago. Hugh was at an all time high, he was living his life long dream and enjoying it for all it's worth. In 1963, he and his wife divorced leaving Hugh as one of the most eligible bachelors in the world. In 1963 only 2 months after his divorce with wife Mildred Williams Hef begins to intimately date Miss December and 1964 Playmate of the Year Donna Michelle (playboy. com). In the mid 60's Playboy was still growing and growing so Hugh needed to move Its 5 story headquarters into a 37-story skyscraper on Chicago's Michigan Avenue.

The new headquarters illuminated the skies with the nine-foot-high block letters which boldly spelled Playboy. Another great achievement for Hugh in the 60's was the founding of The Playboy Foundation to put the Playboy Philosophy into action. Since then, it has contributed more than $14 million to charitable, literacy, religious, scientific and educational causes (Maxim online). In 1967, Hef started a new TV show called Playboy after Dark hosted by none other than Hugh Hefner. And to celebrate the great accomplishments of Playboy Hugh held the first ever Playboy Jazz Festival at the Chicago stadium.

He also bought him self the famous black stretch DC-9 jet, also known as the Big Bunny. By 1971, when Playboy Enterprises went public, the magazine was selling 7 million copies a month and there were 23 Playboy Clubs, resorts, hotels and casinos with more than 900,000 members worldwide. The corporation also included book publishing, merchandising, a modeling agency, a limousine service, a record label and a TV and motion picture company. It was truly an empire ruled by one man. In 1971, he also established a second residence in Los Angeles with the acquisition of a five-and-one-half acre estate in Holmby Hills, which quickly became known as Playboy Mansion West, where he was able to closely supervise Playboy Enterprises' increasing interests in television and film production (playboy). When he moved in he petitioned for the reconstruction of the Hollywood sign.

Because of his efforts he was awarded a Hollywood star and the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce also honored him further, with its First Annual Hollywood Hall of Fame Award as Outstanding Citizen of the year (web). In 80's Hef suffered a stroke which made him think about his life and he realized that he was getting a bit old and could not handle the stresses of running the whole company. So he elected his daughter Christie as president of Playboy enterprise. It was Christie who decided to make the company global by first selling issues in Germany. The first few issues in Germany were a complete hit so they moved forward to the rest of the countries. Christie and playboy also win the National Magazine Award for fiction.

For this Christie is elected chairman and CEO of Playboy Enterprises, Inc. Also in the 80's Hugh marries 1989 playmate of the year Kimberley Conrad. They have 2 sons, the first son, Marston Glenn, was born on Hef's birthday, April 9, 1990, and their second son Cooper Bradford, was born on September 4, 1991. The Hefner are currently separated, and Mrs. Hefner and the boys live on an estate adjacent to the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles (time maqzine). In 1994 Playboy becomes the first national magazine on the World Wide Web, quickly becoming one of the most popular destinations on the Internet. In 1996 Hugh wins the top award in international publishing, the International Publishing Award from the International Press Directory in London.

Hugh Heffner has lead an extraordinary life. He has achieved so much and it all came from nothing. He started out working two jobs just to support his family and know his is one of the world's best known men. He has such things as starting his own magazine, television network, film production, children's foundation, and much more. Also he has had more lover than you can dream of making him on of my personal idols. playboy. com.