The man at the front of the room has the rapt attention
of all around him. The subject is Silver Islet, and the images on the screen
and the story that accompanies them underscore one of the well-known attributes
about him - he’s an expert on Lake Superior.
The presenter is Jim Marshall, chair of Lake Superior Port Cities, which
publishes this magazine. His column normally fills this position, but in
this issue, unbeknownst to him, we’ve taken over the space to tell you
a little about the man and his influence on our lives.
The talk about Silver Islet’s history is one of several presentations that
J.R. (as he is affectionately known) gives to groups around the lake. It
invariably invites personal contact from the audience after the “show.”
Here is someone who understands the relationship between the past and the
present, who knows how the ancient peoples of the region influenced today’s
residents. Jim is an avid boater who spends a great deal of time on Lake
Superior in Skipper Sam II (his “magic carpet”) with his wife, Jan,
visiting towns, marinas and poking in among the remote harbors and islands
of this inland sea. He has studied the lake to predict its many moods and
teaches respect for this largest of the Great Lakes.
Jim Marshall explains a point to a member of the audience
at a talk in Two Harbors, Minnesota.
This year J.R. reaches another significant birthday, so we thought it would
be appropriate to tell you about how a born salesman with more than a mild
curiosity about history and geology also managed to keep a magazine about
a Great Lake afloat when it seemed to be floundering. A Duluthian for all
of his 70 years (born in Lakeside), he has sold pots and pans, insurance,
one of the original copy machines (Thermofax®) and was even the first
retail snowmobile dealer in the United States (Ski Doo).
For years he operated Chippewa Camping Outfitters, taking many a doctor
or youthful scout into the Boundary Waters to learn the ways of the wild
first hand from a master. He’s been a representative of Columbia Steel
Casting Company since 1968, which supplies parts for the mining industry.
All of this has generated a respect for the lake, the outdoors, minerals,
mining and experience that proves invaluable as he gives his talks.
His personal life has not always been easy. J.R. became a widower at age
45 when his business, boating companion and wife, Beverly, died. J.R. then
lost his best friend and son, Randy, who died in 1993 at age 41.
But he always seeks the positive and strives for a “win-win.” With an insight
that few possessed, in the early 1980s J.R. saw the need and potential
for Lake Superior Port Cities Magazine. The magazine had been started
in 1979, but after a few years of existence in a “tough” economic climate,
it needed an infusion of money and creative endeavor. The faith of Jim
Marshall sustained the new publication, until the lake community was able
to support the efforts and the growth was realized that put the magazine
on solid footing.
But J.R. did more than spend money and offer verbal support. He gathered,
then transferred, his vision to a dedicated crew of talented people who
were able to translate his quest into the premier publication for the lake.
There were no large government grants to sustain the effort. There were
no other financial backers in the process. It was a personal goal and a
personal commitment to excellence that allowed Lake Superior Port Cities
Magazine, and subsequently Lake Superior Magazine, to be the reality
that it is today, 22 years later.
He contributes an award-winning bimonthly column of his insights through
“Lake Superior Journal,” some of which have been collected into a book.
Not known for being subtle in his praise, he has become the Promotions
Chair of the magazine, passing out copies of LSM to the many folks
he meets in airports, biking or other travels around the country. The staff
knows that his largest contribution is a dedication to excellence and participation
in the community of the lake.
 We
don’t often get a chance to tout our mentor. He likes to hang back and
sustain us through words of praise. Even today, as we continue to expand
our coverage of the lake and contribute to the lore of the great waters,
we find that J.R. is able to keep us on track through his knowledge and
constant support.
Lake Superior plays a large role in the lives of Jan Biga
and Jim Marshall.
We don’t often get a chance to tout our mentor. He likes to hang back and
sustain us through words of praise. Even today, as we continue to expand
our coverage of the lake and contribute to the lore of the great waters,
we find that J.R. is able to keep us on track through his knowledge and
constant support.
We think his readers would like to know that he knows more than how the
waters and weather flow, how the ancient inhabitants made a name for themselves
or that wealth comes from the ground and the sweat of the brow. He knows
that true wealth is knowledge shared, and that the way to do that is through
truth and quality. His underlying principles continue to keep us on course.
Those who know him know that he always has a smile and a ready, warm handshake.
There’s an old Marshall saying that “we celebrate birthdays and do not
take them for granted.”
So, join us as we salute James R. Marshall on his 70th birthday (August
30, 2001). To quote a favorite saying of his that hangs next to his portrait
in our office, “It’s fun being proud of you.”
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Lake
Superior's Own