Robert Rodale
Robert David Rodale was an American publisher who was president and chief executive officer of Rodale, Inc., a company founded in 1930 by his father J. I. Rodale in Emmaus, Pennsylvania.
Rodale was an adherent of organic farming, regenerative agriculture, and gardening and a publisher focused on health and wellness lifestyle magazines and books. Rodale was the founder of the Lehigh Valley Velodrome.
Early life and education
Rodale was born in Manhattan, New York City, on March 27, 1930 to J. I. Rodale and Anna Andrews Rodale. The family moved to Emmaus, Pennsylvania shortly after Robert's birth when J. I. and his brother Joseph established an electrical manufacturing company there. He had two sisters, Nina and Ruth.Robert learned the basics of farming and gardening while growing up on the family farm in Emmaus. He attended Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania from 1947 to 1951, studying English and journalism. In the 1970s, Robert Rodale played a major role in getting the Pennsylvania state government's attention through his Cornucopia Project, which stimulated the publication of state-level analyses of how readily local demand could be met by local supply. At a time of increasing energy prices, a new emphasis on eating local became his platform for a more sustainable way of engaging with his community.
Career
Robert joined his father at Rodale Press in 1951 as an editor. His first assignment was to read galley proofs for The Organic Farmer, a precursor to Organic Gardening and New Farm magazines. He worked alongside his father as president of Rodale Press until his father's death in 1971 during a television interview with Dick Cavett. Robert was the U.S. representative at the November 5, 1972 founding of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements at Versailles, France.Rodale was named chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Rodale Press, which grew to exceed $200 million in revenue under his management.