Sid Yudain facts for kids

Sidney Lawrence "Sid" Yudain (born May 6, 1923 – died October 20, 2013) was an American journalist. He started a newspaper called Roll Call in 1955. This newspaper focused on the United States Congress and the area around the Capitol Building, known as Capitol Hill. Sid Yudain published the very first issue of Roll Call on June 16, 1955. It started with 10,000 copies. By October 2013, Roll Call was printing more than 22,000 copies four times a week.

Sid Yudain: A News Pioneer

Early Life and First Papers

Sid Yudain was born on May 6, 1923, in New Canaan, Connecticut. He was the seventh of eight children. His parents came to the United States from the Russian Empire in 1907. Sid's father owned real estate businesses. When Sid and his siblings were kids, they would solve arguments by making small newspapers. They used their family's portable typewriter for this. This showed his early interest in news!

From Hollywood to Capitol Hill

After finishing New Canaan High School, Sid Yudain joined the United States Army. During World War II, he was stationed in Malibu, California. There, he started publishing a small newspaper for his army base.

After the war, he stayed in the Los Angeles area. He worked as an entertainment writer for a Connecticut newspaper. He also wrote articles for fan magazines about actors and movies. He interviewed famous people like Montgomery Clift, Lana Turner, and Olivia de Havilland.

In 1951, Yudain moved to Washington D.C.. He became a press secretary for a new U.S. Representative from Connecticut, Albert P. Morano.

Starting Roll Call

While working in Washington D.C., Sid Yudain noticed something. There wasn't a newspaper just for the people who worked in Congress. He saw Congress as a community that needed its own paper. So, in 1955, he came up with the idea for Roll Call. It was a small newspaper for members of Congress and their staff. It only cost him $90 to start!

He published the first issue of Roll Call on June 16, 1955. He called it a community newspaper. He printed 10,000 copies. At first, Sid wrote most of the articles himself. He even published the paper from his office in Rep. Morano's building.

What Was in Roll Call?

Sid Yudain described the early Roll Call as a mix of different types of papers. It was like a local newspaper, a paper for a specific group (like a trade paper), and even a bit like a movie fan magazine.

Roll Call covered serious topics too, like how congressional committees were set up. But it mostly focused on personal news about the people in Congress. For example, it shared news about weddings, birth announcements, and job changes within the House and Senate.

Sid Yudain also wrote a gossip column called "Sid-Bits." This column was a early version of the "Heard on the Hill" blog that Roll Call has today. Even important people like U.S. Vice President Richard Nixon wrote guest articles for the paper.

The Paper Grows

In 1986, Sid Yudain sold Roll Call to Arthur Levitt. Levitt was the chairman of the American Stock Exchange at the time. Sid continued to write for Roll Call as a columnist until 1988.

Later, in 1992, Roll Call was bought by a company called the Economist Group. This group also bought another publication, Congressional Quarterly (CQ), in 2009. Today, Roll Call and CQ are part of The Economist's CQ Roll Call Group.

Fun Parties and Famous Friends

Sid Yudain and his wife, Lael Bairstow, loved to host big parties. They held these parties at their home in Washington D.C. Many members of the House and Senate, White House staff, and diplomats came to these events. The parties often had singing and music played by the guests on a stage in the garden. These parties were so well-known that they were often covered by the media. Sid Yudain is also known for discovering the comedian Mark Russell, who often performed at these parties.

Sid's Legacy

Sid Yudain passed away from liver cancer on October 20, 2013, at his home in Arlington, Virginia. He was 90 years old. He was survived by his wife of 40 years, Lael, and his two children, Rachel and Raymond. He also had four grandchildren. Sid Yudain was buried at Arlington National Cemetery. A memorial service was held for him at the National Press Club.

Sid Yudain created a unique newspaper that served the community of Capitol Hill. His work helped people working in Congress stay connected and informed about their colleagues.