Letter to the Editor

Pulp & Paper, Oct 2004 by Johnson, Jeff

I'm writing to you today as a board member of the Paper Industry International Hall of Fame and chair of the organization's Public Relations Committee.

Our committee read with great interest your editorial in the July issue of Pulp & Paper magazine (From the Editors, p. 5). On a personal level, I can identify with your interest in historical markers and your pain when outvoted by your other family members and having to pass them by. I too am overridden by my wife and two sons when I want to stop and see every point of interest during our driving vacations.

Your comments about museums were right on the mark. Capturing the rich history of paper use and papermaking is important. Recognizing how influential paper has been throughout history and documenting the many innovative individuals who have brought the industry to this point is a worthy undertaking. Your worrying that the industry is taking on a "museum mentality" is a valid concern. You're right-we do need to highlight new innovations and breakthroughs in technology and product development and encourage careers in the paper industry and "make paper more alive for people."

And these are exactly the things we're doing at the Paper Discovery Center and Paper Industry International Hall of Fame. These are among the goals that are included in the interpretive plan for the Paper Discovery Center:

* Transform people's perceptions about the paper industry

* Demonstrate the high-tech and forward-looking nature of the paper industry today

* Encourage an interest in careers in the paper industry

* Create a valuable educational institution supporting both formal and informal learning

* Establish interactive and engaging exhibits that are 70% science oriented and 30% social history oriented

* Show how paper is truly connected to every facet of our lives, including health, education, art, and the economy

* Demonstrate the industry's environmental stewardship

* Stir excitement and creative juices in young and old alike

As you may be aware, the Paper Discovery Center is the name we have selected for the overall facility. It will house the Paper Industry International Hall of Fame in addition to a museum, a theater, a career center, interactive exhibits, a Paper Adventure program for children and families, and outdoor river and forest exhibits. The very name Paper Discovery Center was chosen to reflect exactly what we think the industry needs to do-create excitement about the industry and the craft of papermaking and converting.

As you suggest, we need to avoid any semblance of living in the past. However, we can't really look to the future without an eye on the past. It enables us to avoid making the same mistakes our predecessors made. It allows us the opportunity to see how far we've come. And it gives us the perspective that we're working in an industry with its best days ahead of it.

Thank you for your positive comments about the Paper Discovery Center and Paper Industry International Hall of Fame. We're confident the facility will become a destination for thousands of people who want to better understand the rich history of this great industry and learn how they might be able to apply their energy and creativity to help make its future even brighter. If you're ever traveling in the Appleton, Wis., area with your wife and daughter, be sure to visit the Paper Discovery Center. It's one destination the whole family will enjoy.

Jeff JohnsonMarketing Communications Manager, SCA Tissue, Neenah, Wis.