Roy Reiman Founder, Reiman Publications

The Reiman Scholars in Entrepreneurship program was made possible through a gift from Roy and Bobbi Reiman of Greendale, Wisconsin.

Roy Reiman grew up on a farm near Auburn, Iowa, and graduated from Auburn High School in 1952. In 1957, he graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in agricultural journalism. He joined Capper's Farmer magazine in Topeka and became managing editor at the age of 23. After a brief term at Agricultural Publishers in Milwaukee, he launched his own company in the basement of his home.

Reiman founded his publishing company in 1964 in Hales Corners, Wisconsin. Reiman Publications, now headquartered in the Milwaukee suburb of Greendale, boats seven magazines ranked among the top 100 in national circulation. Combined circulation for Reiman's 12 major bimonthly magazines is more than 15 million. The magazines include Country and Country EXTRA, Farm & Ranch Living, Country Woman, Reminisce and Reminisce EXTRA, Taste of Home, Crafting Traditions, Quick Cooking, Country Discoveries, Light & Tasty, and Birds & Blooms.

Reiman Publications is principally owned by Madison Dearborn Partners Inc., a Chicago investment firm, and senior management of Reiman. In April 2002, his company was sold to Reader's Digest Association Inc. for $760 million in cash. The hefty purchase price makes the acquisition the biggest the magazine industry has seen since 1998.