Published Thursday, January 08, 2009
Newspaper's longest serving employee retires after 47 years
The Times-Herald
Joel Hyde first began making daily trips to what is now The Times-Herald building 60 years ago.
On Thursday, he prepared the metal plates for today's newspaper and went home -- just a few blocks away -- to begin his retirement. Hyde will remain a legend among The Times-Herald staff for his quirky sense of humor and gruff exterior that overlay a kind heart and a love for his work.
Hyde, a youthful looking 72, is a native Cowetan and has spent his whole life in the local area. In the eighth grade, he attended classes in the upper floor of the old Farmer dry goods store building at the corner of Jefferson Street and Madison Street.
The building now houses The Times-Herald. Hyde is the newspaper's employee with the longest record of service.
The current Newnan High School was being built on LaGrange Street, and some classes were held in the upper floor of the downtown building while the new school was being constructed.
"We went (to the new school) in the ninth grade," Hyde recalled. "We were the first ones in there."
While Hyde was in high school, he worked for Long Printing Company on Second Avenue. In 1961, he was hired by James Thomasson to work at The Times-Herald.
James Thomasson and his father, E.W. Thomasson, had come to Newnan from Carrollton in 1936 to start The Newnan Times. They bought The Newnan Herald, which dates to 1865, in 1946 and combined the papers the following year.
When Hyde joined the newspaper staff, the Times-Herald offices were diagonally across the street from the current location. The press room was in the rear of what is now Andre's Off The Square.
"I got lead plates ready for color," Hyde remembered. Ray Todd and W.L. "Tommy" Thompson set the lead type for the newspaper on linotype machines.
A wave of new technology was transforming the newspaper industry. In 1964, The Times-Herald purchased a Fairchild News King offset press. The new process used lightweight alloy plates coated with photographic chemicals. The same process essentially continues today, although the layout -- done for years on paper -- now takes place in a computer.
The Times-Herald early on was noted for its use of color. "Me and Billy got started on that," Hyde said -- referring to William "Billy" Thomasson, the son of James Thomasson and current president of The Times-Herald.
In 1965, the newspaper printed a Centennial Magazine, a 248-page book celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Herald. Part of the magazine told the newspaper's story. One photograph depicted a youthful Hyde making plates. Another -- situated next to a shot of a summer intern from Moreland names Lewis Grizzard Jr. -- showed Hyde addressing newspapers for mailing with a handheld device.
Lamar Truitt, who is now the newspaper's advertising manager, joined the staff in 1971. He worked closely with Hyde for years. Their families were close, and the Hydes and Truitts vacationed together a couple of times.
"It was a hoot," he said, recalling working with Hyde. "He was always in a good mood -- could always find something funny. There was never a dull moment. He made coming to work fun."
Hyde's boisterous sense of fun kept day-to-day work at The Times-Herald on a light note. When a birthday party for Ida Thomasson, the "bossette" of the newspaper, was given -- complete with a cake sporting that honorific, Hyde began calling her "Bozetta." Nicknames for staff members he liked were frequent.
Local cartoonist David Boyd, who still drops in at the newspaper office frequently -- once called Hyde "the eternal sophomore." Hyde's love of pranks is legendary among the longtime newspaper staff.
"I hate your guts" is a comment from Hyde taken with stride by longtime co-workers -- but sometimes puzzling to newcomers who didn't think he knew them well enough to dislike them. Schoolchildren touring the newspaper would frequently hear -- as they left the plate-making area -- Hyde's voice saying, jokingly, "And don't come back."
The late Grace Jenkins was a composition artist at the newspaper for several years. One day she brought a beautiful fruit basket to work -- with plans to take it to a friend who was in the hospital. The basket included some particularly large bananas.
Hyde insisted he was not alone in the banana prank that followed. In any case, staff members went across Madison Street to the U-Save-It Grocery operated by Hamp Smith. A single banana was purchased and eaten.
The fruit basket "was just sitting right inside the door," Hyde said. The banana peel was plopped in front of the basket.
Hyde did not think Jenkins would fall for the trick. "The banana they got was not nearly as big" as the ones in the basket, he recalled.
"She saw it and got mad as rip -- that somebody had eaten her banana. She stayed mad all day long," Hyde recalled.
When the newspaper was published once a week, many staff members worked all night on Wednesday to get the Thursday paper ready. Marianne Thomasson, who is now vice president of the newspaper, would help and frequently would slip off her loafers.
Hyde "was always hiding her shoes," Truitt said. One night he put them in the freezer section of the refrigerator, where they were not found until the next day.
The press -- when running at full speed -- had a rhythm that often inspired Hyde to dance a jig. "We called it the Joel Hyde shuffle," Truitt recalled.
Children of Hyde's co-workers would drop by the newspaper office occasionally, and at least one was disappointed to figure out "Uncle Joel" was not a blood relative. "All the kids loved him. Every kid who came in the building -- they were drawn to Joel like a magnet," Truitt said.
Hyde's wife, Elaine, died of cancer some years ago. She was a banker at Bank of Coweta.
"She was probably one of the best people I've ever known," Truitt said, remembering her as a kind, helpful person. "Elaine was Elaine no matter where you saw her."
Joel and Elaine Hyde were "the ideal couple," he said.
Asked about the specifics of his retirement plans, Hyde replied, "Nothing much -- probably be with the kids more." Hyde's daughters, Beth Avery and Sandra Dennis, live in the area. Hyde indicated he is looking forward to spending time with his six grandchildren -- three girls and three boys.
His co-workers are hoping he will stop by to tell them he hates their guts and spend some time. "Joel's just an all around great guy," Truitt said.