Ruth Whitney Retires as Editor of Glamour

Posted on August 11, 1998

Ruth Whitney will retire this fall from Glamour, the magazine she has edited for 30 years. Whitney's retirement was announced by S.I. Newhouse, Jr., chairman of The Conde Nast Publications Inc. "Ruth's achievement with Glamour has been extraordinary," Newhouse said. "She is truly one of a kind. In fact, I know of no other editor who has identified and addressed the evolving needs and interests of her readers as Ruth has done in Glamour over the years. She set the standard for Conde Nast and for magazine publishing in general."

Whitney joined Glamour as editor-in-chief in 1967. Under her direction, it became the only women's magazine to win the General Excellence category of the National Magazine Awards twice, first in 1981 and again 10 years later. Glamour also won National Magazine Awards for its coverage of significant contemporary issues, including a series on abortion that ran in 1991 and another series on managed care from 1996.

In recognition of her achievement in bringing a sense of social urgency and hard-hitting public service to the traditional women's magazine format, Whitney was inducted into the American Society of Magazine Editors Hall of Fame in 1996. To keep pace with the rapidly changing world faced by her readers, she introduced more than 50 regular columns and features. Under her leadership, Glamour's circulation increased by nearly a million, making it the leading fashion, beauty and health magazine for young women.

Before she came to Glamour, Whitney had been executive editor of Seventeen and, prior to that, editor-in-chief of Better Living. She is a past president of the American Society of Magazine Editors and has served on its editorial board.