# All Hail Cecil on the Glorious 30-year Anniversary of His First Column! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [February 2, 2003, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-cecil-on-the-glorious-30-year-anniversary-of-his-first-column/152283 "2003-02-02T10:22:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-cecil-on-the-glorious-30-year-anniversary-of-his-first-column/152283/1 "2003-02-02T10:22:23Z")
Uncle Cecil’s glorious first column appeared 30 years ago today (February 2, 1973): [The First Straight Dope Column](http://straightdope.com/faq/firstcolumn.html). The powers-that-be have been sparse in providing authorative information about the glorious early history of the column, so I have assembled below a few carefully verified details, supplemented by wild speculation, as needed: It all reportedly started with an editorial flare-up at _My Weekly Reader_. No need to go into details. But the dissenters were challenged with the traditional “If you’re so smart, why don’t you start your own weekly periodical?” The upstarts attempted to flee overland to Canada, but were blocked by Lake Michigan. The _Chicago Reader_ was begun with the idea that they would grow rich and powerful and someday buy out a big media company – NBC at one time, currently the target is AOL-Time Warner – and show all those know-it-alls what-for. (A photograph of _Chicago Reader_ big-wig Mike Lenehan, standing ominously beside an AOL-Time Warner functionary, is located at [Board of Visitors Adds 15 Members](http://www.medill.northwestern.edu/inside/2001/bov-new.html). It is also interesting to do a Google search on “Medill School of Journalism” and “Illuminati”). One day, according to an unverified, but certainly plausible, report, the _Chicago Reader_ received an indignant ten-page letter from one Cecil Adams about the proper use of semicolons, the latest in a series of hectoring missives. (Paul S. Piper’s “What makes Cecil Adams the world’s greatest reference librarian?” [_American Libraries_, February, 1996] reports that Cecil’s mission began as “a divine calling”, with “the archetype of Cecil, a relative of the Norse god Odin, coming to him in a dream and commanding him to ‘take the helm’”). The powers-that-be decided to give this “nutcase” a chance to show off his supposedly limitless knowledge. Might be good for a few laughs for a few weeks. Needing an editor, they asked: “Who wants to be the editor for some dope we’re giving a column to?” Mike Lenehan, mishearing the announcement, glanced up, and was drafted. _How much could it hurt?_ he mused. (A jealous William Poundstone, who lost out on the position, later started a rumor about Cecil that his loyal followers _ **do not believe!** _) Within a few months the (in)famous [caloric-content-of-semen](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_054.html) column appeared, and Cecil’s magnificent reputation was sealed. Meanwhile, Lenehan was plotting his escape. Dave Kehr was tricked into playing in a crooked poker game, and “won” the column editorship with a hand of [black aces and eights](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_307.html). Kehr remained tethered to Cecil for two years, then went both mad and over-the-wall. At this point a neophyte journalist, Edward “Blue Pencil” Zotti, striding in mighty seven-league boots, took charge, and to date has sacrificed over a quarter century of his once promising career in service to The Master. (Little Known Fact #1: Ed Zotti’s real name is “Eduardo Zot”. Cecil made him change it for numerology reasons. Don’t tell anyone, but Cecil is a _huge_ fan of numerology. He’s always talking about it with his golfing buddies). Ironically, Cecil was never able to reduce his original semicolon manifesto into a column-sized version, but is working on developing it into a screenplay. They’re going jazz it up a bit, shoot a trailer, then shop it around the major studios looking for a greenlight. The working title is **SeMiCoLoN;-3D**. Congratulations, Unca Cece, on your production of (approximately) 1,568 weekly gems of wisdom! May there be (approximately) 1,568 times 1,568 more! * * * All Hail Cecil! Heed His Mighty Words! Buy His Mighty Books! Well, not _his_ books – purchase your own copies of the books that he authored. And don’t forget “Ed Zotti’s” _Know It All!_, which is also commercially available. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-cecil-on-the-glorious-30-year-anniversary-of-his-first-column/152283/2 "2003-02-02T20:00:15Z")
Wow, he had a much better illustrator back then. ---
**Author:** ![Tav111](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@Tav111](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tav111)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-cecil-on-the-glorious-30-year-anniversary-of-his-first-column/152283/3 "2003-02-02T20:22:00Z")
CONGRADULATIONS CECIL… I’VE MISSED OUT ON THE LAST 30 YEARS BUT I’LL BE HERE FOR THE NEXT 30!!! ( WHAT ROCK WAS I UNDER ALL THESE YEARS?? I LOVE YOUR BOOKS.) ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-cecil-on-the-glorious-30-year-anniversary-of-his-first-column/152283/4 "2003-02-02T20:50:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tav111 \* > **WHAT ROCK WAS I UNDER ALL THESE YEARS??** If you find out, check and see if that’s where you left your caps lock key. Oh, and welcome to the boards, &c. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-cecil-on-the-glorious-30-year-anniversary-of-his-first-column/152283/5 "2003-02-02T21:01:16Z")
How ironic that Cecil should get his props from the one guy who called him(Cecil) on the carpet and won. [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2) 'Course, it helped to have Ed around to take the fall. Wow! That Cecil guy has got to be getting pretty old by now. Keep putting the kibosh on crap, big guy! May you live to be 100. ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-cecil-on-the-glorious-30-year-anniversary-of-his-first-column/152283/6 "2003-02-02T21:13:19Z")
Woot! Congrats Unca Cecil. May you be blessed with another 30 years with us, your Teeming Millions[sup]TM[/sup], to spread your cause of eradicating the earth of ignorance. Thank you for all you’ve given us, from the mundane, to the debatable, to the pit-worthy. Hail, Cecil. We love you, man~! ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-cecil-on-the-glorious-30-year-anniversary-of-his-first-column/152283/7 "2003-02-02T21:17:07Z")
HAIL MIGHTY **CECIL**! **HAIL!** HAIL! HAIL!!! BTW–\I hope my shameless & skilled sucking up is noticed when selecting people to be mentioned in the next book…\ ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-cecil-on-the-glorious-30-year-anniversary-of-his-first-column/152283/8 "2003-02-02T22:03:43Z")
Unca Cecil, what is thy bidding, my master? Congrats Cecil, the _Reader_, and all involved with the column, including the staff of this MB, and many thanks to the same. (Chocolate’s in the mail.) ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-cecil-on-the-glorious-30-year-anniversary-of-his-first-column/152283/9 "2003-02-02T23:03:21Z")
Hail Cecil! Tripler Yeah, a subtle message: “Hail Cecil!” ---
**Author:** ![Caught\_Work](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/919ad9/32.png) [@Caught\_Work](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caught_Work)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-cecil-on-the-glorious-30-year-anniversary-of-his-first-column/152283/10 "2003-02-03T04:33:47Z")
All Hail Cecil! All of you. All of us. All, all, all. ---
**Author:** ![BritPopTart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@BritPopTart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BritPopTart)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-cecil-on-the-glorious-30-year-anniversary-of-his-first-column/152283/11 "2003-02-03T05:22:20Z")
So glad to have found this website & forum–love The Straight Dope books (and urban legend debunking, &c.)–and am delighted to Hail a fellow with such noble, if nearly impossible, goals re: bettering Mankind and eliminating ignorance worldwide. Now if only he can do something about people who abuse apostrophes…there may be some peeled grapes and gently wafted palm frond fanning in it for him. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-cecil-on-the-glorious-30-year-anniversary-of-his-first-column/152283/12 "2003-02-03T05:29:42Z")
Hail, Cecil! Hubba hubba! Speech! Speech! ---
**Author:** ![Neidhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Neidhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neidhart)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-cecil-on-the-glorious-30-year-anniversary-of-his-first-column/152283/13 "2003-02-03T15:53:28Z")
Is that Bryn Mawr Theater still around? What do they charge for admission these days? ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-cecil-on-the-glorious-30-year-anniversary-of-his-first-column/152283/14 "2003-02-03T17:38:33Z")
The Theater was caught in the United Artists bankruptcy, and was nearly converted into a gym, but appears to have been staggering along as of last year. No doubt someone more familiar with Chicago can expand on this. ---
**Author:** ![Ian\_G](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecccb3/32.png) [@Ian\_G](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ian_G)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-cecil-on-the-glorious-30-year-anniversary-of-his-first-column/152283/15 "2003-02-03T23:29:54Z")
Thanks Cecil, good individual effort ---
**Author:** ![Muad\_Dib](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-cecil-on-the-glorious-30-year-anniversary-of-his-first-column/152283/16 "2003-02-06T19:40:12Z")
Goodness. This is all of the hoopla that there is? Maybe Uncle Cecil is embarrassed that he is getting up there in years and asked the staff that the anniversary not be acknowledged. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-cecil-on-the-glorious-30-year-anniversary-of-his-first-column/152283/17 "2003-02-07T04:01:48Z")
In the beginning the Word was And the Word was with God And the Word was Cecil –NCB– ---
**Author:** ![Cecil\_Adams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cecil\_Adams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cecil_Adams)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-cecil-on-the-glorious-30-year-anniversary-of-his-first-column/152283/18 "2003-02-07T15:07:31Z")
That’s more like it. ---
**Author:** ![JeffB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeffb/32/188_2.png) [@JeffB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JeffB)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-cecil-on-the-glorious-30-year-anniversary-of-his-first-column/152283/19 "2003-02-07T16:13:43Z")
First post after **Cecil Adams**. Woo hoo! ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-cecil-on-the-glorious-30-year-anniversary-of-his-first-column/152283/20 "2003-02-07T16:17:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JeffB \* > \*\*First post after **Cecil Adams**. Woo hoo! \*\* Sure. but _mine_ was the post he replied to. 😛 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-hail-cecil-on-the-glorious-30-year-anniversary-of-his-first-column/152283.md?page=2)