Richard E. Snyder, a former CEO and chairman of Simon & Schuster, passed away at the age of 92. Snyder began his journey in the book industry as a trainee at Doubleday but eventually shifted to the position of the assistant marketing director, where he demonstrated his unique ability to track the precise number of published, ordered, sold, and returned books. Later, Snyder embraced the role of a businessman instead of a man of letters and performed exceptionally well after Gulf and Western Industries’ ownership purchased Simon & Schuster in 1975. Despite clashing with Martin Davis, who took the chair of Gulf and Western following the death of the founder, Charles G. Bludhorn, Snyder became known for transforming Simon & Schuster into a business-minded publishing house. Snyder is survived by his daughter, two sons, and two grandchildren.
Ernest “Bony” Saludes, Sonoma County Journalist and Press Democrat Reporter, Dies at 90
Ernest “Bony” Saludes, a prominent journalist and reporter for Press Democrat, passed away at the age of 90. Saludes earned the reputation of an “indefatigable” and a “pillar of the PD newsroom” for his outstanding coverage of criminal trials in northern California. His remarkable reporting on the 1989 murder spree of Ramon Salcido in Sonoma Valley, the 1993 kidnapping and slaying of 12-year-old Polly Klaas by Richard Allen Davis, and the 1995 murder of Deputy Sheriff Frank Trejo by Robert Scully in a parking lot between Santa Rosa and Sebastopol gained him immense respect from colleagues, lawyers, and law enforcement officials. Saludes was an old-school newspaperman and an exceptional crime reporter and writer. He even talked gunmen out of an armed standoff in March 1973, ensuring that they got out of the situation alive. The men surrendered after five hours.
In conclusion, the journalism industry has lost two exceptional leaders in their respective fields. Both Richard E. Snyder and Ernest “Bony” Saludes have incredibly different journeys, but they have undoubtedly left a profound impact and shaped the industry’s evolution in their ways. Their contributions will always be remembered as they continue to inspire young journalists, reporters, and industry professionals.
