Rance Crain has directed the leading trade publications for the advertising and media industries for more than 30 years. He is the president of Crain Communications Inc. and editor in chief of Advertising Age, Crain’s Chicago Business and Crain’s New York Business. He also writes a bi-weekly column for Advertising Age. In 1990 Crain formed Turnstile Publishing Co. to acquire Golfweek magazine as a separate investment outside of Crain Communications. Turnstile now also publishes programs for golf tournaments, Turfnet for golf superintendents, Art Calendar and several community newspapers around its headquarters in Orlando, Fla. Named a senior editor of Advertising Age in 1965, Crain was appointed first editor of Business Insurance in 1967 and editorial director of Crain Communications in 1971. He added the title of company president in 1973. Crain’s career began as a reporter for Advertising Age in its Washington bureau, and he later moved to the publication’s New York and Chicago offices. Crain founded four of the company’s 27 influential titles, including Pensions & Investments, Crain’s Chicago Business, Crain’s New York Business and Electronic Media. A graduate of Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and former sports editor of The Daily Northwestern (1960), Crain is a charter member of Medill’s Hall of Achievement and a recipient of the 1992 Northwestern University Merit Award. Among his business and charitable activities, Crain served 13 years as a board member of Lee Enterprises, a New York Stock Exchange newspaper company in Davenport, Iowa.

Updated: July 13, 2012