Neighbors '54: Book editor/agent, freelancer

Received from Charles Neighbors '54 -- he's reachable at ccneighbors at gmail dot com. Thank you, Charles! (Note to eds: Has political convention time peg :)

Howdy, from the founding editor of The Texas A&M Journalist, as well as a member of the committee that induced SDX to accept A&M journalists to its roster. There weren't too many of us back then, but some of us went on to score effectively: my first job was as a business editor at McGraw-Hill business magazines in NYC, where a few years later I was president (dubious honor) of the Texas A&M Club of New York; mainly because none of the high-ranking CEO's had time to spare. A few years later, after I founded the first Texas Aggie literary agency, Frank Manitzas of CBS News asked me to help out during the 1968 presidential nominating conventions in Chicago and Miami Beach. Provided you're interested, more on that experience later.

Having edited almost 200 books, writing and publishing two novels of my own (okay, so they were paperback originals) and representing more than a hundred writers before I quit agenting, I'm still active as a free-lance editor and occasional book marketer.

Thanks for letting me know about the mini-reunion this fall. It would be a pleasure to visit College Station again. My constant companion, Angela Phelan is the former food editor of Family Circle, who is now a food service consultant. She is proud to announce she's been to at least two Aggie Musters, the most recent in Manhattan this year (2008), her first was at West Point (where she designed the kitchen facilities for the famous Jewish chapel at the USMA) in 2006.

We were thrilled to attend the A&M Wind Orchestra concert in December '07 at New York's Carnegie Hall. I'd love to hear from any '50s grads, but especially from Wayne Dean.

Charles "Chuck" Neighbors '54, former managing ed The Battalion