Worcester Business Journal

32 Worcester Business Journal | October 28, 2024 | wbjournal.com 35th Anniversary WBJ BY T.J. GAUDET Special to WBJ A s leaders, they ably represented two of Central Massachusetts' longest-running institutions— each intricately tied to Isaiah omas. One turned his bequeathed library into the world's preeminent repos- itory of pre-20th-century print materials in what is now the United States. e other invoked the patriot printer's name for its annual award to citizens who serve Where are they now? Gone but not forgotten, these difference-makers continue to make their marks in new ways Worcester with distinction. e overlap between American Anti- quarian Society President Emerita Ellen S. Dunlap and former Telegram & Gazette Editor Harry T. Whitin doesn't end there. Both can trace family ties to 17th-century Blackstone Valley villages, and each con- tinues to call the area home. ey've also been caretakers to acres of newsprint. e most relevant connection of all? Dunlap and Whitin have devoted their retirement years to serving organizations that touch the lives of many in our region. "I've stayed involved with Mass Human- ities, and I've been the treasurer, bookkeeper and finance manager of the Worcester Cultural Coalition. at keeps me busy," said Dunlap, a West Boylston resident who capped 28 expan- sion-filled years with her 2020 AAS retirement. She's more recently added board roles with Worcester's Rural Cem- etery and the renamed Icon Museum and Study Center in Clinton. She also extends her expertise to AAS Presi- dent Scott E. Casper and staff when needed. Whitin's post-T&G life—he stepped away from the since-struggling newspaper of record in 2009 aer 16 years as editor and 44 over- all—has included key contributions to the Whitinsville-based Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor. His celebrat- ed reunions of 100-plus far-flung Whitin relatives, and 12 years of toil on a nearly finished historical mini-documentary, also keep the 78-year-old in motion. "It's interesting to me because I grew up at the failing end of the textile business, and nobody in my family talked about preceding generations. So when I retired, I started looking back," he said. "I'm a seventh-generation descendant of Paul Whiting, who was a blacksmith who dropped the 'g' from Whiting and became the first Whitin. at interested me," he said. Aer a chance encounter with the Heritage Corridor's then-superintendent in 2010, "I was invited to get involved. I've been on the board that manages it ever since." As chairman, Whitin helped guide the transition from a federal commission that managed the Corridor to an indepen- dent nonprofit affiliated with the National Park Service. He currently serves as a director and vice chairman. Dunlap's and Whitin's tenures leading enterprises with 371 years of combined history brought meaningful moments. e former's 2014 meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama to receive the National Hu- manities Medal on behalf of AAS stands out. But an early revelation about the expansiveness of her longtime employer still sticks. "I always fall back on something that happened when I first went to the Society. We have 2 million newspapers, and have claims to such comprehensive collections. I just thought to myself, 'Well, I'll just see what we have here,' " Dunlap recalled of her slight skepticism. She scoured the archives for a small-town Texas news- paper for details about her father's family, and soon uncovered an 1876 article with biographical details tied to his great-great grandfather's death. e fact that he inherit- ed the English world's most common name, John Smith, added to the wonder. "at's what I love about history: Finding connections with everyday things is what makes it interesting," she said. Whitin cites his close relationship with the late Telegram & Gazette associate editor and columnist Sid McKeen as a career highlight, as well as e New York Times Company's 14-year ownership. "Its devo- tion to the core values of journalism was unmatched," he said. It was a different story with the penurious previous owner: Chron- icle Publishing Co.'s 13-year reign "was very turbulent. Stability was a constant struggle." His rebuffed attempt (along with Polar Beverages CEO Ralph Crowley, Jr.) to buy the publication in 2013 remains a bitter disappointment. Instead, the Times Co. sold the T&G to John Henry, whose quick flip of the paper to GateHouse Media's predecessor accelerated its spiral. "I will frankly say that I have never felt the same about the Red Sox since John treated us the way he did with that sale," Whitin said. Whitin holds out hope for local media. "I think the future lies with nonprofit and community-based journalism. We need to pull the two of those together," he said. Dunlap and her husband, Frank Arm- strong, are parents to longtime New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill Visitor Services Manager Livvie Rowell, and have one grandson. Whitin, who resides in his Westborough home of 50-plus years with wife Lucy, boasts two successful children, Hank and Kate, and two grandchildren. Educator Robert E. Johnson treasures his Ellen Dunlap, former president, American Antiquarian Society COURTESY PHOTO Harry Whitin, longtime T&G editor COURTESY PHOTO

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