Durrell founded People Magazine

Renowned FF baseball player dies at 82

By Tom Hintgen (Contact) | The Daily Journal

Published Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Richard Durrell, 82, founder of People magazine who previously played town baseball for the Fergus Falls Red Sox during the late 1940s, died Friday at his home in Fairfield, Conn., following a battle with cancer.

Durrell, who had been courted by the Brooklyn Dodgers between his junior and senior year at Washburn High School in Minneapolis, later enrolled at the University of Minnesota after serving with the Marines during World War II.

In 1947 Durrell joined fellow Gopher athletes Ev Faunce, Buzz Wheeler and Duane Baglien in Fergus Falls. He played first base and center field on a Red Sox team that qualified for the 1947 Minnesota Class A State Tournament.

A year later, in 1948, Durrell and the Red Sox almost defeated Max Lanier’s all-star team in Fergus Falls. Several years later Durrell wrote a story about that game that appeared in Sports Illustrated — the title being, “The Night the Stars Almost Fell in Minnesota.”

Durrell cherished his return to Fergus Falls for Red Sox reunions over the years. During one of those visits, in 1992, he referred to his days in Otter Tail County as “Camelot.”

Over the years he kept in close contact with former Red Sox teammate and current Fergus Falls resident Harley Oyloe. He also remained as a friend to former Marine buddy and Red Sox teammate Jim McNulty who currently lives in Pennsylvania.

In the late 1940s the Red Sox played baseball games at the old fairgrounds baseball park, just north of where the middle school is now located along Friberg Avenue. It wasn’t unusual to see crowds of 1,500 to 2,000 people on a given night, under the lights when town baseball was at its peak in the years right after World War II.

Durrell and his wife, Jacky, and their five children were long-time friends of Minneapolis native and actress Arlene Dahl, mother of actor Lorenzo Lamas. She’s one of many celebrities Durrell knew over the years, as the founder of People magazine.

Following his 1948 graduation from college, Durrell began his career at Time Inc. He got the job by answering an advertisement in a news publication purchased at a Twin Cities newsstand. Durrell later worked in the advertising departments of both Time and Life magazines. He also served as Life's assistant publisher.

In 1973 Durrell was appointed publisher of People when it was test marketed in 11 cities. Sales far exceeded expectations. Time launched People magazine nationally on March 4, 1974, with a cover featuring Mia Farrow. in succeeding years the magazine grew in both stature and publication numbers.

A memorial service for Durrell will take place April 5 at First Church Congregational In Fairfield, Conn.

Memorials can be to Hospice at Home, 40 Lindeman Drive, Trumbull, CT 06611, or to the Dick Siebert Athletic Scholarship fund, University of Minnesota Golden Gopher Fund, 600 15th Avenue Southeast; Room 275, Minneapolis, MN 55455.