Leda Sanford

Leda Sanford, (born October 11, 1933 in Lucca, Italy), is an author, speaker, former publisher, and advertising director. She was the first female publisher of a major national magazine.[1] She became president, publisher and editor-in-chief of the magazine American Home and the American Home Publishing Company in 1975.[2]

Leda Sanford
Born
Leda Giovannetti

(1933-10-11) October 11, 1933
Pieve Fosciana, Lucca, Italy
Alma materFashion Institute of Technology (B.S.)
Occupation(s)Author, Speaker

Throughout her career, Sanford had publisher and director stints at several national magazines. She eventually focused her work on aging, which includes the publication of her collection of essays Look For the Moon in the Morning. [3]

In 2010 she published a memoir, Pure Moxie, which focuses on her professional career.[4]

Professional career

When Sanford became president of the American Home Publishing Company, the company had recently been acquired by the Charter Company, headed by Raymond K. Mason. New York Times columnist Philip H. Dougherty reported in his “Advertising” column that Sanford had little experience in magazine publishing. Before her American Home installation, Sanford had been a design major at the Fashion Institute of Technology. She had served as editor of the trade publication Teens & Boys Outfitter for three years and also was editor of the publication Mens Wear for three years.[5]

At American Home, Sanford led a controversial feminism-driven repositioning.[6] Sanford replaced roughly half of the American Home staff (newspapers said she had started to “clean house”).[7] The goal was to appeal to newly liberated women and save the magazine, which the Los Angeles Times reported as “financially ailing.” [8]

American Home reported slight gains in 1976, but in 1977 the Charter Company announced the magazine would be combined into its magazine Redbook.[9][10]

In March 1978 Sanford joined Chief Executive magazine as associate publisher and editor.[11]

Sanford became publisher and editor-in-chief of entrepreneur Jeno Paulucci’s magazine for Italian-Americans, Attenzione, in 1979.[12] The magazine was sold to Adam Publications in 1982, after Sanford made an unsuccessful attempt to raise money to buy the magazine herself.[13]

She was appointed to publisher of Bon Appétit magazine in May 1982.[14] It was a short stint, and Sanford resigned from her position in March 1983.[15]

In 1983 Sanford was appointed editorial director of the new magazine Living Anew — The Magazine for Living on your Own.[16]

In 1986 Sanford became publisher of the U.S. edition of FMR magazine, Italian publisher Franco Maria Ricci's upscale art and culture review.[17]

In March 1990 she became advertising director of Maturity Magazines Group, the New York office of Modern Maturity.[18] In 2003, the company’s bi-monthly magazine Modern Maturity was renamed AARP The Magazine.[19]

Keeping her focus on the aging, she spent nine years (beginning in 1992) as vice president and senior editorial director of the targeted marketing division at the Age Wave Communications Corporation in Emeryville, California. Sanford was involved in the creation of the magazine “Get Up and Go!”[20] The publication's target audience, women aged 40 to 50, was part of company’s focus on how the boomer wave will change aging in America.

Leda Sanford has two children and two grandchildren. She resides in Mill Valley, California.

References
  1. Paul Liberatore, "Leda Sanford's memoir recalls glass-ceiling-breaking publishing career," The Marin Independent Journal, November 30, 2010
  2. Philip H. Dougherty, “New Owner for American Home,” The New York Times, June 23, 1975
  3. Bio, Leda Sanford, archived from the original on 2009-04-16, retrieved 2010-01-31
  4. Paul Liberatore, "Leda Sanford's memoir recalls glass-ceiling-breaking publishing career," The Marin Independent Journal, November 30, 2010
  5. Philip H. Dougherty, “New Owner for American Home,” The New York Times, June 23, 1975
  6. John Getze, “Publisher Cleans House to Improve American Home,” Los Angeles Times, Sept. 12, 1975
  7. John Getze, “Publisher Cleans House to Improve American Home,” Los Angeles Times, Sept. 12, 1975
  8. John Getze, “Publisher Cleans House to Improve American Home,” Los Angeles Times, Sept. 12, 1975
  9. Philip H. Dougherty, “Advertising; American Home Foresees Gains,” The New York Times, June 15, 1976
  10. “Charter to Merge Two Publications,” The New York Times, December 2, 1977
  11. Leonard Sloan, “Advertising: People,” The New York Times, March 23, 1978
  12. Philip H. Dougherty, “Advertising; A Patron For a New Magazine,” The New York Times, March 21, 1979
  13. Philip H. Dougherty, “Advertising; Adam Publications Buys Attenzione,” The New York Times, January 5, 1982
  14. Philip H. Dougherty, “Advertising; People,” The New York Times, May 3, 1982
  15. Philip H. Dougherty, “Advertising; New Publisher at Bon Appetit,” The New York Times, March 17, 1983
  16. Philip H. Dougherty, “Advertising; Living Anew Appoints an Editorial Director,” The New York Times, December 20, 1983
  17. Richard W. Stevenson, “Advertising; People,” The New York Times, September 18, 1988
  18. Randall Rothenberg, “THE MEDIA BUSINESS: Advertising; People,” The New York Times, March 8, 1990
  19. "AARP's 'Modern Maturity' Disrupted Stereotypes on Aging". AARP. Retrieved 2023-04-17.
  20. "Sanford, Leda 1933– | Encyclopedia.com". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2023-04-17.
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