An Editorial

Quoting and passing on remarks and opinions that create pessimism is a habit that should be indulged in very seldom by business men. Plenty of business recessions have started that way.

This does not mean that business facts should be deliberately suppressed. It simply means that opinions should be uttered with intelligent optimism whenever possible.

Evil forebodings are like evil germs; they are contagious and infectious both, and help nobody.

"Smokey Beor's 'Godfqfher' " Retires

William V. N{endenhall, 66, retired Februarv 1 after '16 years rvith the U. S. Forest Service, 27 oI them as supervisor of Angeles National Forest, an area nearly as large as Rhode Island. \\'hen he left his Pasadena clesk, Mendenhall planned to start compiling his notes on the history of national forest consen'ation in Southern Caliiornia since he became a fire-fighter, covering tl-re erir from shovel and brush ax to helicopter and airllrlrne sPrays.

Forest Supervisor \{endenhall is knorvn as the godf:rther of "smokey Bcar," the famous advertising symbol of firelighting. During the early ycars of the last l'ar, NIenclenhall and his public relations man, Arnold Larson, I'ere seeking a way to enlist national stlpport of a fire-llrerrention program. The.v took their idea to Don Llelding, heail of the Advertising Council, and he fathered "Smokey Bear."

N{endenhall also pioneered ttse of the hclicoptcr in firefighting in the Big Tujunga fire of 1946.