Who's That With Charlie?. Charles S. Mechem

let alone one who spent several decades in the staid upper reaches of the business world, but somehow not at all surprising upon meeting the man. All you have to do is take in the amiable smile and warm handshake, feel the youthful enthusiasm with which he tells a story, or be amused by the playful banter between him and his wife of more than sixty years, Marilyn. Very quickly, Charlie becomes the octogenarian you can see hurtling down the scariest drop, his face full of wonder and his hair blown back.

      Although growing up in the Great Depression left him with an unceasing sense of diligence and duty, Charlie Mechem knows fun, and the thrill ride is his personal metaphor. As a kid in Nelsonville, Ohio, he couldn’t wait for the carnival to come to town. Forty years later, as the CEO of Taft Broadcasting, Charlie not only oversaw the building of “The Beast”—at the time the world’s longest, fastest, and steepest roller coaster—at the Kings Island theme park near Cincinnati, but led the company’s executives in test runs. The man revels in the ups, sees opportunity in the downs, stays steady in the turns, and is always looking forward to the excitement of a new go-round.

      Whatever that turned out to be—from toiling on a road crew as a teenager to his current posts as personal advisor to longtime friends Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Nancy Lopez, and Annika Sorenstam—Charlie’s favorite part of any enterprise has been the human interaction. As you will see in the following pages, Charlie likes people—all kinds. His natural empathy makes him wise, observant, and trustworthy, a good listener, a masterful persuader who is understood because, better than most men, he understands.

      That whole package was never more evident than when Charlie accepted the position of Commissioner of the Ladies Professional Golf Association in 1990. The association was coming off one of the most difficult periods in its history. Tournament sponsors were pulling out, players were becoming discouraged, media coverage intimated impending doom. Charlie instead saw an intriguing opportunity, at age sixty, to apply his know-how and solid associations from three decades at the highest levels of commerce to help a group in need in a sport he loved.

      Among his many tools, Charlie brought an enlightened sensitivity—learned from his strong relationships with the women in his life—toward the cultural gender issues that have always made promoting women’s professional sports difficult. That insight helped him identify the LPGA’s central problem—“a massive institutional inferiority complex”—that once articulated gave the players a renewed spirit and purpose. Charlie then followed through by attending, often with Marilyn, every single LPGA event—nearly two hundred in total—from 1991 through 1995.

      It was at the tournaments that he stabilized the LPGA’s foundation by tirelessly going one on one with sponsors and media in spreading the gospel of what he earnestly believed was an underappreciated product. His example, along with gentle but well-timed prods, inspired his leading players to be more engaged in promoting their sport. His reign was remarkably free of dissension or controversy, chiefly because he followed a mantra by achieving consensus among the players before making important decisions. By the time he completed the job on December 31, 1995—the date he had publicly pre-set five years before—the LPGA was in better shape than it had ever been, and Charlie had established himself not only as the best Commissioner the LPGA ever had, but also as one of the best sports Commissioners ever. Every person who has held the post since, including current the Commissioner, Michael Whan, has faithfully sought Charlie’s counsel on issues large and small.

      What follows is the selective but remarkably diverse history of rich experiences, strong friendships, fascinating encounters, and enduring lessons. It’s the summing up of a solid, happy, fulfilled life—in many ways a classic portrait of the fleeting American Dream.

      Charlie would hasten to add that he’s been more lucky than good, but that’s a bit misleading. Sure, he’s been fortunate to share some amazing times, rub shoulders with the great in the worlds of sports, entertainment, politics, and commerce, and achieve much individual success. But there’s also no doubt that right from Nelsonville, he was possessed of an attitude that turns every experience—triumphant or difficult—into some manner of good fortune. It takes a special quality to continue loving the roller coaster, to steadfastly regard the ride not as a beast, but as a beauty. That quality permeates every day of Charlie Mechem’s life, and every page of this book.

      Jaime Diaz

      Editor, Golf World

      Part One

      WHO IS THIS GUY?

      CHAPTER I

      Why I Wrote This Book

      NOT LONG AGO, having just entered my ninth decade on this earth, I was sitting in an airplane looking out over the wonder of our vast country. The immense landforms put me in a contemplative mood. Not for the first time, it occurred to me that as miniscule as we are in the grand scheme—and especially from thirty thousand feet—the best part of life is sharing it with other people.

      It’s why my own life has only gotten richer with each passing year, which became very clear to me as I sat in that plane. I became increasingly excited when I thought about all the sports, entertainment, business, and political figures that my life had given me a chance to meet. I still think of myself as a small-town boy from Ohio, and I still wonder if I’m really in a dream. I was feeling especially so while cruising above the clouds, and as I allowed those special relationships—and others—to roll around in my head, I was suddenly compelled more than I had ever been to get it all down on paper. I have been fortunate to live several quite different lives—lawyer, business executive, sports Commissioner, consultant, and mentor. The stories and people that you will read about in this book are the happy result of this life.

      Always a list maker, I took out a legal pad and started jotting down—at first slowly and then in rapid succession—stories about the amazing individuals with whom I have been associated. Many have been famous, some haven’t, but all have left their mark on me. That list was the genesis of this book. Writing it has allowed me to vividly relive a lot of wonderful moments. Even better, it’s allowed me to share them. I have gone into some detail on my own life on the premise that it will put the “people stories” and other stories in some context and make it easier to understand how they were part of my ongoing life. But, this is by no means an autobiography. Rather, a “stage-setter,” a backdrop for the people and stories that have meant so much to me.

      Inevitably, some readers will feel that I’m engaging in excessive name-dropping. A fair comment, but I plead “not guilty.” Name-dropping, at least to me, means dropping the names of famous people to make the “dropper” seem more important. My intent, however, is precisely the opposite. What I have tried to do is to show a side of the various people I speak of that underscores the kind of people they truly are and has nothing to do with me—except that I was there!

      A brief word about the title of this book. There is an old, old joke about the guy named Joe who went to Rome and, quite by accident, had his picture taken with the Pope. When he got home he proudly showed the picture to friends who were suitably impressed. One of his friends, however, had a most unexpected response. He looked at the photo and said, “Who’s that with you, Joe?” I was reminded of this story as I reflected on the personalities that I profile in this book. With few, if any, exceptions they are far better known than I. Hence, the title Who’s That with Charlie? The final section of the book is titled “Lessons Learned” As the name suggests, in this book I want not only to share the stories about the wonderful people I met along the way, but also to share with the reader the lessons that I have learned from these associations.

      I hope you enjoy!

      CHAPTER II

      Growing Up

      AS I REFLECT on my life, I’ve come to realize that folks of my vintage have had the great good fortune to live during the most wonderful, exciting, and fulfilling years that I can imagine. I was born in 1930—September 12 to be exact—in the master bedroom of my parents’ home in the small town of Nelsonville, Ohio, a community of about five thousand people located in the extreme southeastern corner of the state.