Marian Calabro
Encyclopedia
Marian Calabro is an author and publisher of history books and the founder and president of CorporateHistory.net, which produces corporate histories for clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to family-owned businesses and nonprofit organizations.
and the film company Learning Corporation of America. Her earliest books, written for young adults, include Operation Grizzly Bear (about wildlife biologists Frank Craighead and John J. Craighead; on the International Reading Association’s Young Adults Choices list, 1991), Great Courtroom Lawyers: Fighting the Cases that Made History, and Zap! A Brief History of Television. Having disliked history herself while in school, she sought to bring a narrative and dramatic approach to these subjects.
The Perilous Journey of the Donner Party, Calabro’s chronicle of the westward-bound Donner Party
pioneers who resorted to cannibalism in winter of 1846-1847, broke through to adult audiences. Booklist described it as “a combination of well-researched factual detail, a gripping narrative, strong characterizations, and a thoughtful analysis of the historical record.” Perilous Journey earned the California Library Association’s Beatty Award and the Virginia Library Association’s Jefferson Cup (honor book), was named to New York Public Library’s Top 100 Books for Reading and Sharing in 1999, and was cited as a American Library Association Notable Children's Book in 2000. Perilous Journey is her most widely read book, held in more than 1,400 libraries. In 2010, she was a featured author in the Historical Literacy Conference at the University of Delaware.
Given this approach, Calabro’s books often offer business and managerial information that is widely applicable. Her book on the Melwood Horticultural Training Center not only relates the 40-year history of a private agency serving adults with developmental disabilities, but includes reflections on running a nonprofit organization by her co-author, Melwood’s President Emeritus Earl Copus. Flying High Again outlines the key issues faced by the Plattsburgh Airbase Redevelopment Corporation (PARC) during the remarkably rapid and successful redevelopment of the Plattsburgh Air Force Base
. Gilbert Duken, chairman of the Board of Directors, noted that he and other members of PARC “agreed that other communities facing similar circumstances might benefit from a written account of PARC’s experiences.”
Both the Melwood and PARC books won Apex Awards of Excellence for custom publishing.
For a book celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of Northwest Community Hospital
in Arlington Heights, IL, the focus was on the individuals and groups who form the backbone of the hospital. "People are really at the heart of any organization," says Calabro. "We like to be able to tell their stories with lots of visuals that link the past to the present." Among the sources for this chronicle were newspaper clippings, board minutes, letters, historic artifacts, and architectural drawings.
After writing a book for Pep Boys
, Calabro appeared on The History Channel’s Modern Marvels
series in “The Auto Store” (aired 10/5/2005), which included the story of Pep Boys and other auto-parts companies. Among the clients of CorporateHistory.net are Advance Auto Parts
, A. W. Hastings & Co., Clinton County ARC, Dominion Resources
, and M.C. Dean, Inc. Calabro is currently involved in developing books for The Clorox
Company, Sandvik
, and others. “Your history literally shows why your organization is built to last,” she notes. “No million-dollar consultant can give you what your own history gives - a competitive difference in a crowded field, authentic pride, a soul.”
Calabro is a graduate of Rutgers University
, where she was in the first class of women admitted to Rutgers College and was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa Society
. A native of Kearny, New Jersey
, she currently lives and works in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey
. She has been quoted on business subjects by USA Today, the Washington Post, and other media.
Author of books for young adults
Calabro began her career at Dell PublishingDell Publishing
Dell Publishing, an American publisher of books, magazines and comic books, was founded in 1921 by George T. Delacorte, Jr.During the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s, Dell was one of the largest publishers of magazines, including pulp magazines. Their line of humor magazines included 1000 Jokes, launched in...
and the film company Learning Corporation of America. Her earliest books, written for young adults, include Operation Grizzly Bear (about wildlife biologists Frank Craighead and John J. Craighead; on the International Reading Association’s Young Adults Choices list, 1991), Great Courtroom Lawyers: Fighting the Cases that Made History, and Zap! A Brief History of Television. Having disliked history herself while in school, she sought to bring a narrative and dramatic approach to these subjects.
The Perilous Journey of the Donner Party, Calabro’s chronicle of the westward-bound Donner Party
Donner Party
The Donner Party was a group of American pioneers who set out for California in a wagon train. Delayed by a series of mishaps, they spent the winter of 1846–47 snowbound in the Sierra Nevada...
pioneers who resorted to cannibalism in winter of 1846-1847, broke through to adult audiences. Booklist described it as “a combination of well-researched factual detail, a gripping narrative, strong characterizations, and a thoughtful analysis of the historical record.” Perilous Journey earned the California Library Association’s Beatty Award and the Virginia Library Association’s Jefferson Cup (honor book), was named to New York Public Library’s Top 100 Books for Reading and Sharing in 1999, and was cited as a American Library Association Notable Children's Book in 2000. Perilous Journey is her most widely read book, held in more than 1,400 libraries. In 2010, she was a featured author in the Historical Literacy Conference at the University of Delaware.
Corporate Historian
Calabro’s earliest corporate histories chronicled an insurance company and a major utility company, but she soon came to consider the traditional format of business histories somewhat ponderous. In 2004 she established a publishing firm, CorporateHistory.net, which produces printed and multimedia histories based on documentary research and oral history interviews. Calabro believes this sort of research and writing performs an important historical function:Often, the American dream is told through the stories of these businesses. … Every company has crises, and naturally no company wants to trumpet its mistakes, but a good corporate history owns up to the crises and represents them as turning points and lessons learned.”
Given this approach, Calabro’s books often offer business and managerial information that is widely applicable. Her book on the Melwood Horticultural Training Center not only relates the 40-year history of a private agency serving adults with developmental disabilities, but includes reflections on running a nonprofit organization by her co-author, Melwood’s President Emeritus Earl Copus. Flying High Again outlines the key issues faced by the Plattsburgh Airbase Redevelopment Corporation (PARC) during the remarkably rapid and successful redevelopment of the Plattsburgh Air Force Base
Plattsburgh Air Force Base
Plattsburgh Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force Strategic Air Command base covering 3,447 acres in the extreme northeast corner of New York, 20 miles south of the Canadian border...
. Gilbert Duken, chairman of the Board of Directors, noted that he and other members of PARC “agreed that other communities facing similar circumstances might benefit from a written account of PARC’s experiences.”
Both the Melwood and PARC books won Apex Awards of Excellence for custom publishing.
For a book celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of Northwest Community Hospital
Northwest Community Hospital
Northwest Community Hospital uses technologies such as CyberKnife radiosurgery, daVinci robotic surgery and a dual-source CT scanner. Included among the services Northwest Community offers are breast care, cancer treatments, cardiac services, gastroenterology, prostate care, orthopedics and...
in Arlington Heights, IL, the focus was on the individuals and groups who form the backbone of the hospital. "People are really at the heart of any organization," says Calabro. "We like to be able to tell their stories with lots of visuals that link the past to the present." Among the sources for this chronicle were newspaper clippings, board minutes, letters, historic artifacts, and architectural drawings.
After writing a book for Pep Boys
Pep Boys
The Pep Boys — Manny, Moe & Jack , branded as Pep Boys Auto and commonly abbreviated as Pep Boys, is a full-service and tire automotive aftermarket chain....
, Calabro appeared on The History Channel’s Modern Marvels
Modern Marvels
Modern Marvels is a documentary television series that premiered on January 1, 1995 on History. The program focuses on how technologies affect and are used in today's society....
series in “The Auto Store” (aired 10/5/2005), which included the story of Pep Boys and other auto-parts companies. Among the clients of CorporateHistory.net are Advance Auto Parts
Advance Auto Parts
Advance Auto Parts , headquartered in Roanoke, Virginia, is the second-largest retailer of automotive replacement parts and accessories in the United States. AAP was founded in 1932 and had 2008 sales of approx. $5.1B...
, A. W. Hastings & Co., Clinton County ARC, Dominion Resources
Dominion Resources
Dominion Resources Inc. , commonly referred to as Dominion, is a power and energy company headquartered in Richmond, Virginia that supplies electricity in parts of Virginia and North Carolina and supplies natural gas to parts of West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and eastern North Carolina...
, and M.C. Dean, Inc. Calabro is currently involved in developing books for The Clorox
Clorox
The Clorox Company is a US-based manufacturer of various food and chemical products based in Oakland, California, which is best known for its bleach product, Clorox.- History :...
Company, Sandvik
Sandvik
Sandvik is a Swedish company founded in 1862 by Göran Fredrik Göransson in Sandviken. It is a high-technology engineering group and a world-leader in tooling, stainless steel alloys and materials technology, mining and construction...
, and others. “Your history literally shows why your organization is built to last,” she notes. “No million-dollar consultant can give you what your own history gives - a competitive difference in a crowded field, authentic pride, a soul.”
Calabro is a graduate of Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
, where she was in the first class of women admitted to Rutgers College and was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa Society
Phi Beta Kappa Society
The Phi Beta Kappa Society is an academic honor society. Its mission is to "celebrate and advocate excellence in the liberal arts and sciences"; and induct "the most outstanding students of arts and sciences at America’s leading colleges and universities." Founded at The College of William and...
. A native of Kearny, New Jersey
Kearny, New Jersey
Kearny is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. It was named after Civil War general Philip Kearny. As of the United States 2010 Census, the town population was 40,684. The town is a suburb of the nearby city of Newark....
, she currently lives and works in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey
Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey
Hasbrouck Heights is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 11,842. An inner-ring suburb of New York City, Hasbrouck Heights is located approximately northwest of Midtown Manhattan and west of Upper Manhattan.Hasbrouck Heights was...
. She has been quoted on business subjects by USA Today, the Washington Post, and other media.
External links
- http://www.mariancalabro.com/
- Company website: http://www.corporatehistory.net/index.html
- Gordon, Julie. “It’s Not Too Late to Choose Business.” Business Week 2/12/2007.
- Calabro, Marian, and Hank Walshak. “Insider’s View: Using Corporate History in Marketing Helps Public Identify with Companies.” Pittsburgh Business Times 11/16/2007.
- Kaplan, Robbie Miller. “History as Competitive Edge.” AuditNet, 2008.